Just a Simple Janitor
by AzureFlameXIIIGod
Summary: Everyone here is a capable warrior that can eradicate Grimm and stop major crimes from happening. They also have weapons that can turn into a gun. Well except to that one guy who's into the classic of sword and shield. Me on the other hand? I'm just a simple janitor trying to repay a debt while trying to learn on my own pace. I hope it doesn't get too chaotic... multixover. OOC.
1. Prologue

_**Damn**_ _ **…**_ _ **you, plot bunnies.**_

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or RWBY or Katekyo Hitman Reborn. They are owned by their rightful creators. Any other crossovers or references are likewise owned by their rightful creators.

 _ **The past is history, alien, and unknown**_

 _ **For one cannot truly tell what happened**_

 _ **Down to the last detail.**_

 _ **It's impossible; there's always missing pieces.**_

 _ **It's a puzzle that can never be finished;**_

 _ **A puzzle that only makes most of the image,**_

 _ **But not its whole.**_

 _ **Much like the past, a Hero of the past**_

 _ **Is alien and unknown**_

 _ **for nobody knows who he or she is like;**_

 _ **Only legends supplement his or her life.**_

 _ **It's a puzzle as well, but hidden in half truths and lies.**_

 _ **The image made is not what it seems**_

 ** _Because not only is he or she partially true,_**

 ** _but also terribly, incorrigibly false._**

 ** _And so I say to thee:_**

 ** _Names come and go. There can be many of one, or unique on its own_**

 ** _A name is only famous or infamous for the deeds done by one who bore it._**

 ** _However, a name like that is a legend when it is not forgotten._**

 ** _So let me direct you to one such name -legendary in origin, but close to forgotten in an age far more advanced than the age of_** ** _barbarous warfare and malicious deceit. However, be warned, for what you hear is not like what you know. For you see, this individual is not like his namesake. Quite...underwhelming to say the least. Drown your knowledge of what you know because it will lead to many disappointments. Only when the story reveals its contents will you find truth in this individual's origins._**

Prologue: The Interview

A man with messy gray hair and a pair of spectacles examined the résumé in his hands. Quite a lot of odd jobs for one the same age as the students who first enter his academy. All of them were things the applicant was at one point good at until he changed into another job. From what the previous employers have said, the applicant was dedicated to his work, however menial the task. That being said, he did not stop satisfying his urge to have a little fun. The man certainly knew that a young adult needed to cling on their last footholds of childhood. The man lowered the paper that held his client's job history, then leaned forward in interest. His midnight black suit's creases ever so slightly moved into their new positions. "So…tell me why a young man, who has his whole life ahead of him, want to wash it all away in a demeaning job as a custodian?" The applicant did not answer. "I see. Let me rephrase that. Why are you limiting that raw potential you have as a Huntsman?

The man handed down a tablet so that the applicant could see what he saw in the younger man. It was a camera recording of what transpired several nights ago: the apprehension of two gangs in a turf war in Vale's main plaza. Among the sea of gang members, one who stood out was the applicant himself holding several bags of groceries in the middle of all the madness about to ensue.

The applicant, a young man with a golden mane of spiky hair, shook his head. He crossed his arms, and attempted to bounce off the question. "I thought I was being interviewed whether or not I get the job?"

"You are." The man replied. The recording continued playing. The two mobs who were parted before had converged on the young applicant's position. Whatever words were said in between were insignificant. On screen, the young man was hounded by enemies from all around. Swords, axes, batons, and guns were drawn. The young man evaded the melee attacks without any wasted movement, then countered by disarming them one by one via the breaking of clavicles, elbows, or wrists. When it came to the offensive, it was there that the young man showed his sloppiness. His punches weren't proper, and were akin to mindless flailing due to the fact he added too much force onto a hit that would not land. Despite it, he knew how to move in and out of range. He was quite wily too; he ducked and weaved right into their guard, and tripped them down before he stomped on their faces. Crude, but effective enough. He stopped the recording, and continued his speech. "As Headmaster of this prestigious Academy, I'm supposed to evaluate both aspiring students as well as staff." The Headmaster took a sip of his coffee, then continued after he set the mug down on the table. "What boggles me is that you're the first of your age group to ever file an application to work here in my school. Most people your age who come here send their transcripts -not their résumés."

"And this is important why?" The young blond asked irritably. "I'm here for the job. I'm not here to become a student. I was at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Many would think otherwise that you were at the right place at the right time." The Headmaster said critically. "You sent a hundred men in jail. Not a small feat for inexperienced fighters. You've potential, boy. Why waste it?"

"Because I'm not capable. Because compared to them, I'm nothing. Because I have better things to do. Because I don't need to fight Grimm to make the world a better place." The young man snarled honestly. Ozpin was not intimidated by the young man's rising anger accentuated by his feral appearance.

A blonde woman in a white, collared, long-sleeved shirt that puffed at the wrists, and revealed a sizable cleavage. She wore a black business skirt that ran from her thighs to just beneath her bust, where the buttons to keep it in place were. She stepped forward with footsteps signaling her every intention.

The boy knew the intention a person had towards him by the footsteps they created. Loud, heavy steps with erratic rhythm signaled anger or something along the lines. Soft springs in their steps meant they were happy or at least relieved by something. This woman…she was angry. Her sharp tone easily confirmed his guess. "I would not speak with that kind of attitude, Mr. Uzumaki. You are still being interviewed. It's unwise to speak to your possible employer like that."

The young man leaned back into his chair. "But it really has nothing to do with the situation, lady. I'm trying to get it back into that topic, not go deeper into why I can't enter your school."

The two executive members of the Academy stared at each other. "Ozpin…"

Ozpin seemed to deviate from the woman's hidden suggestion to not press further into the issue. "'Can't,' you say?" The applicant sent another bout of silence. "Pray tell can you not come to my Academy normally?"

The young man raised an eyebrow. "I thought you want experienced students for that?"

"Are you not?" Ozpin fired back. "You carry yourself as a capable fighter."

"If you can call surviving in the red-light district experience, sure. Yeah, sure. Let's go with that." His snappy and disheartened answer irritated the woman. While it was normal; the way the boy talked irked her for some reason. The boy waved his hand as a way to dismiss or undermine whatever skill he has. "I have experience, but not against Grimm. I only know how to fight people. It's not even a proper or clean way. My methods are dirty with no style to them. I use anything and everything I can to win in a fight. I don't even have a proper weapon; just my fists and some fancy pair of gauntlets that don't do anything."

Ozpin was interested at that. "A weapon you own, but don't know how to use? Peculiar…"

"I'm not here to learn, sir." The young man reiterated. "I'm here for a job."

"Why is it important for you to get this job?" Ozpin wondered.

"I'm _broke_ for one." The blond answered snappily. "By the way that's another reason why I can't come into your precious academy." Ozpin diligently listened whereas the woman, Glynda, forced herself to stay calm. "Tuition is a bit too much; several digits more than what I get biweekly or annually. Other than that, I want to get this job because it pays far better than any janitor job in any place in Vale."

"And what will you do with that money?"

The young man turned away, and faced the cityscape of Vale outside the window of the Headmaster's office. "Survive for one. Being an orphan for your whole life will teach you that." Neither Ozpin nor Glynda showed any signs of reacting to his self-disclosure. "Another is that I have to repay my debt to the lady in the orphanage. If it weren't for her guidance, I'd be stuck being a petty thief that stole people's wallets and snacked on leftovers while I slept in cold warehouses. She also helped me write that piece of paper in front of you."

"Hm?"

"I can barely read, sir."

"You're talking pretty decently for one who can barely read." Ozpin noted. "Shall I chalk it up to your experience in the streets that made you knowledgeable?" A nod. "Well…that's most interesting. Why have you not had the chance to learn?"

"Well again…I-"

"There _are_ public schools, you realize." Ozpin pointed out. "You could continue your education there; it's free after all… How have you not done that?"

"The orphanage is in shambles, Headmaster." The young man explained. "The monthly bills to keep water pumping in there as well at the Dust needed for heating and air are some of the utility problems we have. Space is another; there are so many in the orphanage now that there are three to a bed and five on the floor in a four-person bedroom." A fist hit the table. "The landlady needs that money to expand and get space. And with that many mouths, food is another problem. I've been working three jobs to keep it up and running. A few of the older ones are doing the same. I then gave it up to get into this one because it paid far better than the others combined. We owe our lives to that woman and the orphanage she allowed us to live in. So from the moment we could talk and do small work, we did everything we could to make that orphanage better. We didn't have time to learn because we chose to help her."

"You're serious about repaying debts, it seems." Ozpin mused.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" The applicant sarcastically questioned.

"I will allow an honest man an honest job." Ozpin remarked. "And you have been awfully honest with me." The man stayed silent for a few moments after. "I shall hire you, Naruto Uzumaki." The young man's eyes brightened. "However, a condition if you will." The young man dulled instantly. "You will continue your basic studies here in Beacon. I will not force you to take any classes, but there is the library you can go to in order to advance yourself no matter how small the triumph. You're even free to enter the gymnasium if you are inclined to keep yourself fit."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, suspicious of the condition. "…Really?"

"I only want to help you." Ozpin replied sincerely. "And if giving you an education is the only way I can, then I will give it to you. So…will you take the job, Naruto?"

Naruto considered it. While he needed the job, he didn't need to learn. He was already far behind everyone else; he couldn't catch up no matter how he tried. Saddening yes, but it was a truth he admitted to himself by making his sole purpose in life to help the lady and her orphanage. But to get this job, he had to learn at his own pace. It didn't need to be overly difficult in concept at all or even too advanced for his literacy level. What to do… He hummed as he wondered whether or not the deal was worth it.

"I'll do it."

Ozpin smiled as he handed a tablet and a set of keys. "Then you will need these. A Scroll here is like an electronic key and identification here for this academy. The actual keys there are for your room and for the various custodian closets found in the several buildings on campus. Refer to you map on your Scroll for navigation."

"What about my uniform?" Naruto asked. "Don't I need one to separate me from the students? It would be quite confusing for others to think of me as one of them."

"Already supplied in your room."

"Seems like you expected me." Naruto observed.

"I have no idea what you mean…"

"Is that it?"

"Indeed. Congratulations on getting the job, young man." Ozpin said. "May your time here with us be of benefit to you. You can use the rest of your time to familiarize yourself with the place if you so choose." He outstretched his right hand. Naruto took it, and firmly grasped the Headmaster's hand. Soon, the young man left the room with a skip in his steps. The young man's retreating back showed the heavily used orange crop jacket and black tee-shirt. His black pants were somehow still in good shape, but they've seen quite a bit of action. The extra pockets on the thighs were almost torn apart, but still capable of carrying something. The elders could see the content Naruto had through his body language, and it brightened the Headmaster's day a little.

Glynda on the other hand was concerned. She was the first to speak her mind. "Was it wise of you to do this?"

Ozpin lowered his head. He took the Scroll on the table, and replayed the scene he showed to Naruto. "I pray it is. Naruto's existence is a problem. His guardian already explained that clearly to us." He paused the video right when Naruto brandished his so-called useless weapon: a pair of vibrant red gauntlets that shamed the brightest of reds with its color and form that fit perfectly on Naruto's hands and forearms. Intricate designs of flame wrapped around the wrist and forearm, where a piece of it was structurally different compared to the rest of the armament. Right at the elbow looked to be a set of thrusters. On the back of each hand was a crystal dome that bore unreadable text on its surface. "He is able to wield the Cielo Fiamma, but cannot activate its famous combat ability."

"He has not unlocked his Aura yet?" Glynda guessed.

"It seems to be since Aura consumption is the only way to summon the flames of Cielo Fiamma." Ozpin answered. "The manifestation of his soul is his weapon; it is the flame itself. Lupa has explained this already. Fiamma Primo's weapons only worked because it was linked to his Aura. Fiamma iridescente, pulire tutto." Ozpin recited. "Iridescent flame, cleanse all." Glynda was confused about the random phrase. "The activation code of Cielo Fiamma. He has half of the weapon's potential awakened. All he needs is his Aura to release its full power. If what she said is true, and that Naruto is a direct descendant of the first leader of the White Fang, then his Aura would be uncannily similar. Famous Huntsman families are known to have a specific Aura, Naruto would be no different. With the way the White Fang previously handled succession, Naruto would be the one currently at the helm. In the event that the current White Fang finds out there is one, true heir to the seat of leadership in their organization, they will stop at nothing to kill him at his weakest. They will stop at nothing to prevent a peaceful coexistence."

They will stop at nothing to extinguish the flames that united a people.

 _ **I say again**_ _ **…**_ _ **damn you, plot bunnies. Since this is a prologue, these**_ _ **'**_ _ **s not much to say other than what do you guys think of this premise? Naruto**_ _ **'**_ _ **s weapon comes from a certain character in one of the many manga in Sh**_ _ **ō**_ _ **nen Jump.**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	2. Sweep the Halls of Beacon

_**Well damn**_ _ **…**_ _ **I did not expect this to be a hit. Thanks for the support! I really appreciate it. Now to confirm a few things, yes Naruto is a Faunus, and yes the weapon is from Katekyo Hitman Reborn. I think I gave both enough hints for easy recognition. But just wondering, what gave the weapon**_ _ **'**_ _ **s origin away besides it being published by Sh**_ _ **ō**_ _ **nen Jump?**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 1: Sweep the Halls of Beacon

It had been a week after the interview. And over the duration of it, Naruto explored the campus as if it were a maze. Certainly should be since the North, South, East, and West wings of the campus are mini labyrinths of classrooms, stairwells, amphitheaters, and arenas. Makes sense to have many of the last item since this place is a school for monster slaying and crimefighting. His favorite spot was any rooftop that he could get onto to watch the city of Vale. Being placed on top of a rather tall cliffside, Beacon Academy easily stood above the nearby city. The added height of the various building added to the angle he could see the city in.

Currently he saw the view of the city inside a viewing platform underneath the airship he was on. The aerial view captured Vale's placid appearance. The lack of anything akin to a skyscraper kept the city from looking…chaotic in a sense. True there were many spires that were a part of a rooftop. The architecture had gone way back in the times of the warring kingdoms. Not that Naruto truly knew of the history of Remnant or Vale itself. All he thought was how pretty it was to see the city in this kind of view. That and he thought how awesome it would be to fly on his own will. How he'd like to feel the air caressing his face as he took in the sights from the new vantage point up above. To be one with the sky…

Oh how he yearned the freedom to accomplish that childish ambition.

His face crept up into a smile as his innocent thought roamed his mind. Onward, his mind recollected a saying Granny Lupa told him as a child. ' _Right when you feel like you will die is when you will be at your strongest. Your flame will burn at its brightest before it extinguishes._ 'He stared at his right hand, where a silver ring-like accessory with the image of a flame encompassed a blue crystal. An X was over the crystal, and bore the word "Famiglia" or "Family" on it on one of the lines. The ring was extended from the base of the middle finger to the first joint. At the tapered end of the ring, a chain connected a smaller ring fashioned onto his pinky.

This was its unawakened form. He had to recite the chant Granny told him to activate it into its gauntlet form. That much he got, but anything further than that, he could not get it to work. "Granny Lupa said this thing would spout a bunch of fire once its full potential is needed. When will I need to release its flames?" He wondered lowly. At the moment, they were just fancy boxing gloves to him.

"Blrg!" A voice grunted beside him. Naruto stared at the source of the voice, a young man with unkempt, straight blond hair. His attire could be described as a squire, who lacked the proper armor coverage on his sides, legs, arms, and head. The white breastplate would be easily torn to shreds by a Grimm that got a good hit in. In fact, the young man didn't fit the bill as a Huntsman in Naruto's eyes. Huntsmen and Huntresses were respectable, noble, and carried a powerful air around them.

This guy just…felt disappointing. The little girl in the red cloak, who's being smothered by a older blonde, had a more powerful quality in her than this wimpy guy next to him. But if the Headmaster allowed it, he shouldn't question it. In fact he should question the guy's status. "Yo…you all right?"

The guy next to him reeled in his discomfort to dissuade Naruto from helping. "I'm…fine." The guy weakly answered.

"Motion sickness?" A nod. "Figures." Naruto shuffled around his back pocket, and handed the guy a barf bag. "I don't need you making more work for me before the school year has started." The motion sick young man gladly took the bag, and unloaded his breakfast inside it. It kept going for a little more than half a minute before the guy finished. Naruto quickly grabbed the bag, sealed it, and chucked it into the trash. Next he handed the newly relieved student with a mint-flavored gum.

"Thanks."

"No prob."

"You say work." The guy restated. "You're not a student?"

"Wow…not even a name first? Classy…" Naruto sassed. The other blond cringed at his words.

The guy laughed it off unconvincingly. "Sorry. My name's Jaune Arc. Yours?" He put out a hand to shake.

"Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto replied just as he shook Jaune's hand. The two let go, and Naruto replied to Jaune's earlier question. "And yes I'm not a student. Some people aren't that lucky to have the money to pay all four years of it. And some people aren't that skilled to even get in here. Personally, I'm here as a janitor because I need the money. I don't have the skills to get in this place as a student."

"Oh…" Jaune was a bit stunned by the amount of information just shot back at him. "That's…"

"Stupid. I know." Naruto interrupted. "I mean I'm going to one of the fanciest schools for combat, and I'm going there…as a janitor."

"If you say it like that, it does sound strange." Jaune remarked. "I say you should be proud to step foot on that Academy."

Naruto scoffed. "Big talk coming from a guy who can't hold his breakfast before even stepping on Beacon's walkway." Jaune recoiled at the blunt blow to his ego. The sudden reaction got Naruto to snicker a little. "Hey…at least no one saw it right? No one can call you Vomit-Boy."

"I sure hope not."

Naruto placed a reassuring hand on Jaune's hunched shoulders. "You'll be fine." He said. "If you got in to Beacon, then that means you've got to be awesome at fighting."

"I-I am!" Jaune stuttered. "N-Nothing to worry about over here! My sword and shield skills will make me famous one day. Just you wait and see!" Naruto sighed lowly. Jaune couldn't be any more of a liar than he is right now. Jaune's poker face needed work. He had so many tells just from that one reply alone: stiffening body, stuttering, frenzied eye movement, cracked voice, etc. Not that he'd tell him. Jaune himself would eventually pay for his lie.

"Yeah, yeah…" Naruto waved it off. "Go practice your lady killer suave on some of the girls here. It would be a great time waster for you." Jaune looked at the various femme fatales aboard the observation deck, and gulped. Their weapons looked _really_ deadly.

"Nah…I can do that at a later time."

Naruto crossed his arms, and raised an eyebrow. How could he not want to ask out any of the girls here?! They were gorgeous! They were simply amazing! It's as if they were those Amazons Granny Lupa told him of as a toddler. This guy- he cut himself off. "Hn…suit yourself. With the way you're starting off, your love life is going to be frustrating to look at."

"Eh?"

"Nothing."

* * *

Their airship had finally landed and soon, Naruto was out of there. He headed for the main walkway that led to the Academy's plaza. While not exactly in a hurry, he was trying to get away from the eventual mob of freshmen. Unfortunately, he miscalculated how eager the new students were, and was hounded from all directions as one by one, students rushed deeper into the campus. A body crashed directly behind him. It was quite soft. His cheeks flared red when he realized what it was. He turned around, and faced himself with that blonde in the observation deck. She was quite a looker. She was a bit shorter than him, who was an even six feet tall.

She wears a tan vest with gold piping over a yellow low-cut crop top with a black crest that resembles a burning heart. Her upper body is quite filled out, and Naruto could not help but take a rather quick glance at the girl's cleavage. White knight he may have been taught as a kid, but he's still a hormonal teen!

Naruto recollected himself, and mused if the burning heart was her emblem. So far he saw an image that represented a different person. Why were there individual emblems? Some sort of extra identification perhaps? Naruto had no idea except for the nice addition it adds to clothing or weapons.

The vest has puffy cap sleeves with black cuffs. On the sides of the cuffs, there are two small golden buttons. She wears a brown belt with a buckle, a pouch, and a small banner-like object. The same burning heart crest appears on this banner, except golden in color. She wears black shorts under her belt, which resembles a pleated skirt in the back. Her midriff is quite distracting as it shows her generous hips. Over the short shorts but under the belt is a white asymmetrical back skirt. On her neck was an orange infinity scarf.

Naruto approved of the color. Orange is an awesome color.

She wears brown knee-high platform boots that appear to be made of leather, with orange socks of different lengths. Her left leg also has a gray bandanna-like object wrapped around the top of her boot. She wears fingerless black gloves underneath her weapons, which resemble two yellow mechanized gauntlets with a black design.

By the way, this happened within the span of three seconds. The girl had yet to apologize, not that Naruto would notice it since he was admiring her form in a normal, non-perverted way.

"My bad!" She apologized informally. "I followed the crowd to get away from my little sis for a bit. Didn't think I'd run directly into someone." Her lilac eyes shone. Naruto shivered a little. It almost felt nostalgic to see that eye color.

"It's no problem." He said with a flashy smile. He quickly turned around, and headed off in another direction entirely. "You should hurry to the amphitheater. The assembly will start shortly."

Yang stood there dumbfounded. Her mind was more focused on the guy, who was in her honest opinion as the perfect catch ever. Blond locks of untamed madness that lead to a chiseled face, a nice eyes of baby blue eyes, and cool and cute marks on his cheeks. That and a sculpted torso underneath that loose, black tank top. Yang may have not seen much, she was pretty sure that the guy's pecs could sharpen the dullest knife. Finally… "That is a mighty and firm one you got…" She purred sweetly while staring at Naruto's retreating butt. "I'll see you soon, lady killer." Let it be known that Yang Xiao Long never took a passing pretty face too seriously. Never. Naruto somehow did the opposite. No doubt he doesn't even know what the girl thought of him. Meh. Not like it will bite him in the ass sooner or later.

Seconds later, Naruto realized he walked in a circle, and managed to get near the landing area of the airship he rode on. "Eh? How did I get here?"

"What are you doing?! Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?!"

Well that did not sound good. Naruto looked for the irritated girl, and found himself staring at a fallen girl, the one in the red cloak from earlier, and another girl in white.

The girl in white wears a extremely pale blue bolero jacket over a similarly colored thigh-length dress that ends in a combat skirt with a piece of black lace making up the neckline of the dress. The inside of the bolero is red and the sleeves turn blue as they get closer to her wrists. The back of the bolero displays an emblem, which bears a resemblance to a snowflake. Her hair is in an asymmetrical ponytail off to the right and had a little tiara over the ponytail. Her other accessories are a pair of rectangular earrings and a silver necklace. On her left was a rapier tied to her waist.

The other girl has her gigantic, hooded, red cloak. Primarily in a black attire, the girl also wears a black blouse with a corset on her waist and tightened by red laces on the corset. On her waist is a gray belt that had the image of a silver rose to her right, and an ammo pouch even further to the right. She wears a black combat skirt trimmed with a bright red color. Her black stockings has a shade of skin color on it since it was probably the only layer she has on her legs aside from the obvious one between them: panties. Her black combat boots has a red trim up top, red laces and soles to finish off the color scheme.

Naruto realized something… Was there- was there a color scheme going on around here?! Almost every single person he had seen so far stayed true to mostly one color and a few others to keep it different. Just what has the world come to where a person's appearance is defined by the color scheme one wears?!

Aside from the mental dilemma, the girl in white, snatched a briefcase handed over by the one in red, and inspected its contents. "This is Dust, mined and purified from the Schnee Quarry." The girl in red failed to say anything in time. "What are you, brain dead?" The girl in white grabbed a vial of red Dust, and slammed the case shut. Particles of blue and red stirred in the air as the rude teen shook her vial. "Dust. Fire, water, lightning, energy? Are you even listening to me?" Not really. Naruto could clearly see that the younger girl had more important things occupying her time.

' _Great_ _…_ _another person about to make my job harder than what it_ _'_ _s supposed to be._ ' Naruto dashed in, and turned the girl in red the opposite way just in time to sneeze away from the Dust. ' _Made it._ ' He thought happily. "Hey, princess. What gives? You can't just start yelling at people without asking for their side of the story."

"And who are you to ask so rudely?"

"Naruto Uzumaki, a janitor. Personally, I don't want to start off my first day on the job cleaning up _your_ mess, and I highly doubt you want to start off your year being reported vandalizing school property with an explosive material. If you don't seal that vial of Dust right now, it's likely that one of us will explode literally or whatever that other word is." Naruto replied angrily. The girl stared all around her, and saw the floating particles around them. Embarrassed by her actions, she quickly collected her belongings, and went deeper into campus. "Feh! Not even an apology for being rude. Hey, red." He tapped the remaining girl's shoulder. "You good?"

"Huh? Uh yeah." The girl turned around. "Thanks. My name is Ruby Rose." She greeted.

"Naruto." Naruto introduced himself. "Now I don't want be rude…but you gotta go to the amphitheater down the walkway past the doors in front of you. The assembly is about to start, and-" He checked the time on the nearby clock post. "Crap I'm late!" Naruto dashed off off in another direction completely opposite of the campus entrance, and left a confused Ruby by herself.

* * *

The sun had set, and Naruto diligently finished his job sweeping the cafeteria. The large room took him a good three hours to sweep, another hour to wipe off tables, two to pick up trash and clean leftover kitchen wares. Not to say that he was the only janitor around, but it seemed like he did more work. The others were simply cleaning their designated area while Naruto himself wandered to another spot to clean. To say it was productive was a sore understatement. He finished the connecting hallways, cleaned restrooms, locker rooms, the plaza, and some few more locations that he could not care to mention because he was tired. He left the polishing to the automatons that roam at night to pick off any unseen specks of trash. He placed his sweeper, bucket, and various cleaning tools off in one of the many janitor closets on campus.

He walked on and on, hoping to reach his room without his legs buckling from the day of work. He went from the West wing to the East, a fifteen minute walk from the previous building to his room in the East wing. He entered the rather large building and walked up one of the many staircases to reach his room. A skylight shone one of the moons down on his body. "The night sky looks so peaceful again…" He stopped to bask in moon's rays. A smile lit his face. "Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to try one more time." He was on the third floor; there's a nearby door to access the balcony. Though he needed to be stealthy since the freshmen were sleeping nearby behind the glass before the balcony he planned to use.

Blake Belladonna's golden eyes snapped open when she heard a nearby door squeak. Silently, she rose up to find out the source of the noise. She used her Faunus ears to listen closely. Footsteps on the balcony. Blake tiptoed her way to the balcony to find out who disrupted her sleep. When she got there, she saw a blond sit on the stone rail. The blond said something that she recognized like any veteran White Fang member did.

"Fiamma iridescente, pulire tutto." The blond's hands lit up like fire. The intense light forced her to close her eyes to not damage them. Moments later, the flames died out to show a red gauntlet that she was very familiar with since she idolized the first leader of the White Fang.

"Cielo Fiamma…" Blake muttered in surprise. "It's not possible... Why does it still exist?"

 _ **And that**_ _ **'**_ _ **s it for this one. The amount of support for this just motivated me to pump out the next chapter. As you can see, this is more of a how Naruto starts off his interactions with some of the cast. Particularly Team RWBY. Though I doubt Blake**_ _ **'**_ _ **s piece is considered interaction. Meh, what to do.**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care.**_

 _ **This is Azure, signing off.**_


	3. A Simple Day

_**Apparently I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m doing something right here. Man that just fires me up even more! My fingers were ready to finish this one just as fast. I do admit it was pretty quick to introduce the main cast to Naruto, but to be fair, it was only a passing meet**_ _ **'**_ _ **n**_ _ **'**_ _ **greet. None of them know a thing about the other.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 2: A Simple Day

Ozpin had replayed a recording of last night. He saw Naruto attempting to release the flames out of Cielo Fiamma by brute force, which amounted to nothing but failure. Naruto needed his Aura, but one cannot unlock it without large amounts of distress or someone unlocking it for him. As much as he wanted to help, he could not interfere. If he did, it would send the message that Ozpin had been spying on his new employee. That and Lupa did say that she taught Naruto to be wary of those who know the identity of Cielo Fiamma. The Headmaster sighed; it was slightly infuriating to keep secrets this important to the young man. The boy had a right to know his own heritage, his own family, but that can't be done.

Not until Naruto was strong enough. Ozpin was only a Headmaster, nothing more. The more he interfered, the faster the secret unfolds. Ozpin leaned back on his chair, and stared to the ceiling. ' _Minato_ _…_ _guide your son to the right path._ '

* * *

Blake Belladonna could not get the image of what happened last night out of her head. A young man -a human- could wield Cielo Fiamma. Impossible. It broke all logic. Cielo Fiamma was linked to Fiamma Primo's Aura. Therefore only people of his blood can wield it. Does that mean that boy is related to Primo? Plausible, but she had never heard of a half-Faunus that had no visible characteristic of an animal. From her angle, she could not see anything else other than the untamed hair he had.

' _Could it be his hair? It almost looks like a lion_ _'_ _s_ _…_ ' Blake wondered. ' _Male, lion faunus, could have pronounced canines, retractable claws, or a mane._ ' She scratched the last one out. Compared to other lion faunus, the young man she saw last night had shorter hair than most. ' _The same can be said of Primo_ _…_ ' She thought begrudgingly. Despite being in love with books, Blake did not fancy mysteries. So far, that blond enigma last night has been a consistent mystery full of plausible truth or contradictions. It frustrated her.

She walked to the initiation location, a cliffside that faced a wide forest, while still recollecting facts. ' _Minato Fiamma, or Fiamma Secondo, was last to have wielded Cielo Fiamma. But in the years before his assassination and subsequent reformation of the White Fang_ _'_ _s methodology, Fiamma Secondo admitted to losing the weapon after being knocked out by alcohol._ ' Blake did not like the implication. Minato Fiamma was known in the White Fang for his inability to hold his drink. He would be a chaotic drunkard. However in the presence of a woman, he was a casanova. Blake _really_ hated the implications her mind made on the spot. ' _Had Fiamma Secondo conceived an heir with an unknown woman during the time he lost Cielo Fiamma?_ ' It made sense at least. Only a Fiamma could activate Cielo Fiamma, and the new unknown wielder of Cielo Fiamma could activate it; however, its flames were a different story. Blake knew that young man's Aura had to be locked since the flames were not spewing out the arm thrusters on his forearm or even coated his palms. Moreover, she could tell his Aura was compatible since it felt warm even in its _restrained_ state.

"Who are you?" She silently asked nobody in particular.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors." Ozpin's voice snapped Blake out of her thoughts. "Today, your abilities will be evaluated in Emerald Forest."

' _I shouldn_ _'_ _t focus on that guy. I came here to Beacon to start fresh. I shouldn_ _'_ _t remind myself of the White Fang. I shouldn_ _'_ _t remind myself of the lost Fiamma family. I shouldn_ _'_ _t-_ ' She stopped herself. Cielo Fiamma was Fiamma Primo's, her idol's, weapon. Her family name of Belladonna only survived up to this point because Fiamma Primo saved her grandfather and grandmother from meaningless execution. To forget that was to trample upon her family's word. It was her duty to seek out this young man, and get some answers. If that blond is the Fiamma Terzo, then it would be her duty both as a Belladonna and as a former member of the White Fang to protect him. To the _very last breath_. To protect every generation of Fiamma was their family's purpose besides aiding him or her in coexistence with humans.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well." The Headmaster gave a quick pause. "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with upon touching the ground will be your partner for the next four years."

' _That seems highly illogical to do, but if you want to drill in the concept of teamwork, be my guest, Headmaster._ ' Blake readied herself. First she needed to get past this initiation before she could search for that young man.

* * *

Naruto groggily woke up. His half-asleep face stared at the cieling. "Another failed attempt. What am I missing?" He wondered to himself. He raised his right hand, and inspected the ring once more. "Cielo Fiamma…why won't you release your fire? Am I the wrong guy?" As if offended by the question, the rings bound to his fingers tighter. Naruto winced at the action. "I'll take that as a no then." He muttered. "What am I missing?" He asked again in hopes of getting a sign. He waited patiently. Seconds went to minutes; nothing happened. Just when he was about to give up, his mind ached. He closed his eyes.

A black void. However, in the middle of it all, a tiny, flickering flame.

Naruto kind of understood it. Though he couldn't put it into words. He massaged his head. "I'm the one that has to supply the flame, huh?" No confirmation was given. "This sucks. How am I going to get you to work?" An alarm beeped. Naruto's eyes widened. Wait a sec…was that all a dream? What the heck kind of dream makes you dream about being awake?! Naruto's eyes locked in on the time shown in the clock.

9:00 AM.

He bolted out of bed quick. "Not again!" He rushed himself into his personal bathroom, and took a three minute shower. A quick brush of his hair, some deodorant, and lotion, and he was ready to put on his dark blue jumpsuit uniform of a custodian of Beacon.

A set of rusty brown eyes narrowed at a rushing blond headed for his position. "You're late again, Uzumaki. " A tanned man with slicked back white hair said. Naruto skidded to a halt, and panted for a few moments. The older man crossed his arms. "I'm beginning to doubt that you actually want this job. You're more akin to a turtle than what your little tattoos on your cheeks say otherwise. I don't see why I can't get you kicked out of this job for your sloppy attendance so far." Murmurs were being passed off from the other custodians in the room. It slightly unnerved Naruto.

Naruto repeatedly bowed since he was afraid to lose his job just after he got it. "I'm really sorry, Boss! I was just-"

"I've no need for excuses." The man cut off harshly before he turned around. "I want to see you work, not squeak like a mouse." The blunt words got to Naruto, who cleared up his mind. The younger man understood that excuses should not be made. To this man, actions spoke louder than words. He would show it by cleaning far more efficiently than yesterday! "Let's go, newbie. Do you have enough cleaning solution stocked up?"

"Yes sir!" Naruto answered confidently.

An hour or two later, Naruto finished sweeping the hardwood floor of the Ballroom the freshmen slept in last night. He was proud of his work. He made that floor reflect his face on its surface! He needed to keep this kind of quality cleaning. Granny Lupa's orphanage depended on his help along with the other older orphans who planned to help out as well. "Now to dust off the walls and polish those windows!" A growl from his stomach protested the idea. "Right after I get some ramen." He exited the room quickly to satisfy his stomach's rumbling. He pushed the door open, and felt it slam against something that grunted in pain. Naruto looked at who might be the unfortunate victim, and was terrified of who it was: his janitorial boss.

"Uzumaki…"

"Gah! My bad, Boss." Naruto apologized quickly. The value of the apology waned when his stomach growled again.

"…" The older man walked past him. "If you were hungry, you should have just said so. Follow me. I'm taking a lunch break too."

The two headed off into the building's cafeteria hall on the first floor. Naruto was stunned by the volume of students in the large room. "Why are there so many people?!" Naruto asked.

"It's initiation day." The man answered simply before fully explaining the meaning of today. "Second, third, and fourth years are exempted from class so that they can watch the new blood." Naruto stared at the tan janitor with unfocused eyes. The older janitor massaged his temple. Ozpin did say Naruto lacked proper education. "The others have a free day so that they can look at the newly forming teams." The gears in Naruto's head finally worked.

"Oh. That's cool. Does that mean-"

"No we can't watch them." Naruto slouched forward. He was disappointed, but it made sense for other staff to be doing their jobs rather than slack off on a day like this. The older janitor could see the disappointment in Naruto's eyes, and aimed to remedy that by saying the condition. "Unless you're on break." Naruto's mood instantly whipped toward the opposite end of the scale. He whooped for joy.

He may not be a good fighter, but he acknowledged those stronger than him, like the Huntsmen and Huntresses stationed around the world. They were accomplished because they were among the best of the best, and fought tooth and nail to get their position. Kinda like the storybook heroes Granny Lupa talked about before he went to bed. Aside from repaying her, at some point, he did want to become a Huntsman.

He wanted to help people just like Granny Lupa did for him and the others who at one point lived or still lives under her care. He reasoned with himself that doing this job would help the young ones. He shouldn't aim to kill himself off earlier than it should.

They found a free table, and Naruto quickly sat there to claim it. Plus with this seat, he could watch the recording from far away without any loss in definition. "I'll get us food." The older janitor announced. "What would you like?"

"Miso ramen, sir!" The man left Naruto alone to watch the initiation right where the young man sat.

The blond stared at the far away screen. That girl in red, Ruby, was in a firing squad along with that crabby princess, that golden bombshell, and a mysterious beauty in black. They were firing off round after round in an attempt to shoot down a gigantic black raven, a Nevermore if Granny Lupa's lessons were correct. The giant bird never faltered, and rammed its its right wing on the structure the girls were on. Naruto was alarmed. Would they die falling to their deaths? His fears were proven wrong as each girl easily made it to stable ground up above a similarly made structure.

The young man's fingers twitched. His body had the urge to do something about the situation. But what could he do? He sucked compared to the girls he was watching. Plus, Cielo Fiamma did not want to show its true potential. Naruto clutched his chest. ' _Why does it feel like I_ _'_ _m missing out on something awesome?_ ' He wondered to himself before he shook the thought. ' _I shouldn_ _'_ _t be thinking of fighting. I wouldn_ _'_ _t be much help at all._ ' Just then, a bowl of ramen was placed in front of him. "Ah! Thanks, Boss." The man sat down, and ate his plate of curry.

"You're welcome." The two silently ate their food while spectating the initiation.

Naruto spoke up when he saw something strange. "Boss."

"Hm?"

"Why did that guy in green not die yet?" He asked. "I mean a throw like that to a pillar should kill a person, right?"

"In normal circumstances, yes. With a hit like that, normal people are supposed to die." The man agreed. "However, as a Huntsman or Huntress, they have access to their Aura, the manifestation of their souls to act as a barrier to protect them from major damage."

"So…it's like an active forcefield?"

"Yup."

"But rather than defense, it can also be used for offense." The man stated as a matter-of-fact. "Some people who've trained their Aura can project it outwards as extra force for their attack. Some even compact their Aura into one attack to make their next attack longer, sharper, stronger, and so on." Naruto leaned forward, obviously interested in the topic. "The most terrifying example of Aura used for offense was one man around eighty years ago, who used his Aura to burn an army. My grandfather said that the flames were far more intense than regular ones. Despite looking like normal flames, anyone near it felt the heat melt their armors and weapons."

"Woah. That guy sounds pretty strong."

"He was. He's also the one who made the White Fang in the first place." The man answered.

"That guy was a Faunus?!" Naruto exclaimed in surprise. "That's so cool."

The man agreed. "That man united the Faunus under the banner of the White Fang, but it was his flames that attracted the Faunus to him. Despite the destructive potential of his Aura, it's been said that his was welcoming, warm, and gave off the feeling of family. It felt harmonious, or so my grandfather said." Naruto glanced at his right hand.

Naruto calmed himself down. The story felt familiar, but he couldn't place a finger on where he heard it from. But he had a lead now on how to get Cielo Fiamma's flames to come out. "Can you tell me how to activate my Aura?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "Hm? I'm sorry that's impossible for me. I don't even have mine unlocked. You'll need to see a proper Huntsman or Huntress to unlock it for you. Either that or be under a lot of stress to the point you feel like you're about to die or really are about to die, or so the books say. I'm not really sure anymore. You might need to go to the library to confirm the information."

Naruto was shocked to hear the words come from someone else. ' _Granny was right!_ ' He now had the right idea to release Cielo Fiamma's true potential. Pumped up by the discovery, Naruto quickly ate his food. Once clean, he stood up, and thanked his superior for the food. He took off, but not without stopping to look at the progress of the initiation. He saw Ruby drag the Nevermore up a cliff before she decapitated the Grimm's head cleanly off its body. "Heh…good for you, Ruby." He rushed to the ballroom to finish his job. "First clean those windows and walls, then to the library to pick up a book on Aura for dummies!"

* * *

A group stepped into an orphanage. They were wearing the same outfits -uniforms. They each wore a white vest with two buttons holding it together. Underneath was a black top with a hood. On their faces, a metal mask resembling Grimm.

White Fang. They were here for one person. That person was on television, and his weapons looked eerily similar to Primo's and Secondo's. They had to confirm their suspicion. The humans they interrogated pointed out that the boy they were looking for had been a part of this orphanage for his whole life. So here they were, busting down the door.

The leader of the group parted his subordinates. He was bulkier than them, but overall appearance looked the same. His mask was far more sinister however. Instead of a half-mask, this one was a full one with two eye slits with red streaks to add to the design of the mask. It looked like a Golem's face. "Lupa!" He shouted. "Come out you traitor!"

The peaceful atmosphere of the orphanage changed. An elderly woman in a black blouse and long skirt with a white apron over it entered the hallway. She had extensively gray hair that was pulled back into a ponytail of uncontrollable shaggy hair resembling a wolf's. Her sharp burgundy eyes narrowed at the White Fang members. Her face was lightly wrinkled, betraying her true age of eighty-two. That and her posture was perfect; not a slouch or signs of muscle degradation because of old age. She was fit for an old lady."Cain…is that you?"

"Where is Fiamma Terzo?" Cain demanded.

"Really? Not even going to properly greet your own flesh and blood grandmother?" Lupa asked with mock hurt.

"Where. Is. Fiamma. Terzo?" He repeated in a snarl.

"The Fiamma line is gone." Lupa answered. "Your group saw to its demise. The relatives, both distant and close, were wiped out on that night. You didn't leave any Fiamma alive. You didn't even spare the newborns."

Cain stomped his foot. "I'm not here for a lesson on morality. Where is he?!"

"The Fiamma family is gone. You're catching a phantom." Lupa lied.

"Stop toying with me!" Cain roared.

"What makes you think I am?" Lupa asked sincerely.

"We raided the prison for answers." Cain said. "Those gang members agreed on one thing they heard from the blond boy that beat them up. Do you know that they said?"

"Indulge my curiosity."

"Fiamma iridescente, pulire tutto."

 _ **And that**_ _ **'**_ _ **s it. I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m sorry for the short chapters, but there really isn**_ _ **'**_ _ **t much to do with Naruto**_ _ **'**_ _ **s current state. I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m trying to keep Naruto distanced from the other cast for now because of his job, but it feels**_ _ **…**_ _ **slow to me. Sure I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m having him figure things out little by little, but so far, I feel like I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m pushing it a bit. I have an idea to make the inevitable interaction get delayed, but what do you guys think? Am I going too fast with the plot?**_

 _ **I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m not used to this kind of writing with lacking any action. My fingers are itching to do a proper fight scene, but I have to keep up with this development for now.**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care.**_

 _ **This is Azure, signing off.**_


	4. A Simple Disagreement

_**So I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m getting mixed reviews about pacing. Some say it**_ _ **'**_ _ **s slow enough, others say it**_ _ **'**_ _ **s fast. I think I**_ _ **'**_ _ **ll follow the others that say it**_ _ **'**_ _ **s fast since one reviewer pointed out that this seemed more like an infodump and world building rather than a chapter that shows character development. I appreciate your honesty those of you who answered my question, and I**_ _ **'**_ _ **ll take into consideration the things I need to do to extend it.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 3: A Simple Disagreement

Lupa did not say a thing. She knew that if she did, then the frustrating feeling in her heart would just come out. Either way, the lack of response or denial meant a fight. She was ready for it.

Cain took the silence as a yes. "So have I struck a nerve, grandmother?" Underneath the mask, his teeth bared into a murderous smile. "Did I call out your bluff? Feels frustrating right? All those years of wasted hiding, and now we'll kill the last Fiamma in cold blood." The younger wolf faunus cackled. "Oh how fun it will be to see his distraught face when he hears about how you lied to him about his family."

Lupa scratched her head. "Eh?"

It was Cain's turn to be confused. "What? You mean to tell me that you told him he has no family?"

"Look where you barged into, Cain." Lupa sassed. "An orphanage. If that doesn't scream "You have no parents," then I don't know what will." Lupa had a point. This was an orphanage. When she was given the task to look after Naruto, she built this orphanage for the sole purpose of hiding Naruto. I mean…no one looks for a missing heir to a famous organization in an orphanage. "If you want a fight, just say so. It's either that or you tell me something that will piss me off."

Cain scoffed. He may as well threaten his grandmother's credibility then. No doubt being the Fiamma Terzo's caretaker made her soft. "I'll make you the biggest liar of them all. I'll say to him that you raised him up to only destroy him in both mind and body." Cain declared boldly. "I will make him hate you, curse your name right before he dies." As he finished his sentence, he felt something hit his chin. The force of the hit sent the leader of the group backwards.

"There we go." Lupa snarled happily. She lowered her left fist, and moved her neck from side to side. Popping sounds in both the neck and knuckles sounded like imminent death in the silent hallway. "Ruin my character. _That_ _'_ _s_ how you piss me off." Cain recovered, and swept his left leg on the floor. Lupa raised a foot, and stomped on the oncoming limb. Despite Aura being able to shield most of the damage, the stomp caused some discomfort on Cain's ankle. "Aura protects a person from external damage. What happens when the damage is from the inside?!" Lupa's other foot swung down on Cain's leg, and aimed for the knee. Once more, the damage was diminished from its true power due to Aura. However, the force strained the calf muscles of Cain's leg. She raised a leg again. Two of Cain's goons swung at her with their batons. Lupa blocked them with her forearms. She took a mighty step forward, which landed on Cain's crotch. Muffled screams of pain echoed out of the mask while Lupa countered the goons with a mean left and right straight punch. The sound it made were akin to gunshots that shook the hallway. The poor goons were sent out of the orphanage. They didn't stand back up.

Lupa stood confidently as she stared down the rest of Cain's group. The members of the White Fang were uneasy. This old lady had not lost her skill in battle. Her strength was still there. They were still facing the famed Lunatic Lupa. "We're warning you, Lupa. Give us the boy, and all will be over with." One of the goons said with some confidence. It was a newbie who hadn't heard of the old White Fang's generals. Figures he'd get cocky.

"Hoh? Are you sure you have the right to say that to my face when I have your leader literally by the-" Lupa raised her leg. "BALLS?!" Her steel-toed shoe fell on the same spot once more. The pain was lessened by Aura, but it did not protect him from the sensory overload caused by the stomp. The men winced. Cain _may_ have some trouble making a child with his wife now.

But onto more important matters. The rest of the White Fang charged at Lupa. One swept at her feet, and forced her to move back. Another jumped above the initial attacker, and slashed at the woman, who dodged it by a hair's breath. Quickly, she grabbed the swordsman's sword hand, and used her other hand to punch the guy in the face. When the hit landed, Lupa pulled on the hand with enough force to dislocate the man's shoulder. She tossed the man off to the rest of his charging friends, and followed with her arms outstretched and low to the ground. The others caught their injured ally. Unfortunately, it was only a second later that their legs were pulled from underneath them. Lupa tossed them up only to thrown them down into the ground. She stepped on their shoulder, and sent them into unconsciousness with a synchronized left and right punch to their faces. An axe kick was sent her way. She easily evaded, and turned around to slam the last lackey's face into the ground. As her final act of defiance, she repeatedly stomped on the man's head until it was visibly inside the manmade hole.

"You old hag…" Cain groaned out. "You're not taking us seriously at all."

"You know…this isn't even my style of fighting. It's the Fiamma Terzo's." Cain's eyes widened. "Apparently whenever he fought a criminal with an Aura, he just thought that person was just difficult to take down. So he made a style comprised of arm/leg/back/neck and all sort of limb breaking madness with the intent to do harm internally. Aura doesn't really protect anyone from internal harm, does it? Certainly helps deal with pesky Aura users, don'tcha think?" The grandson did not answer. "This is a small show of what he could do to you even without his flames." Lupa said nonchalantly. "I hope you've got better men, or they'll just be fodder to him." Finished with her demonstration, she returned back inside her orphanage to finish cooking lunch for her children. She closed the door silently, and left the defeated White Fang members to the police.

"Granny?" A voice asked from one of the doors in the hallway.

"What is it Rom?" A tiny head peeked out into the hallway. His red burgundy hair overshadowed his eyes.

"Who were those mean people?"

Lupa walked next to him, and went down on her knees to see at eye level. The little boy wore a black, loose shirt that covered the length of his body. His khaki shorts were hidden under the large top. "They were people trying to look for big brother Naruto. They wanted to hurt him."

"Why would they want to hurt big brother?" Rom asked. "Big brother is awesome!" He exclaimed in his meek voice.

"I'll explain it to you when you're older." Lupa answered with a reassuring pat on Rom's head. "If any person asks for your big brother, call me okay?"

"Okay."

"Where's your brother, Rem?"

"He was watching you fight them from upstairs."

"SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND!"

"Gah! Damn kid, don't piss on me!"

"Don't listen to him, Remus! Keep doing it!" Another child shouted above a sudden chorus of childish cheers.

"That's what you get for messing with Granny Lupa!" Rem shouted.

"I wanna join too!"

"I'm game for this!"

* * *

Naruto was in the library diligently reading a book about Aura and its various applications. Since it was the "For Dummies" version, he got the idea, but not without it taking some time. He read vocally, which angered some people there. It's not his fault he needed a good grasp on the idea by reading it aloud with some definite pronunciation errors. What he read was just as true as his boss and Granny Lupa said. All he needed was to unlock his Aura, and he could use Cielo Fiamma's true power! Yet despite finding the answer he needed, he continued further. Application wasn't his strong suit. Unfamiliar words started popping out. Word after word swam on by. He had to consult the dictionary more times than it was supposed to be needed, and it nearly caused his mind to blow. His fourth grade reading level couldn't keep up with this!

The young man placed his head on the table to soothe the pain of cramming so much ideas in one sitting. "Owwww…"

"Something wrong, Mr. Uzumaki?" The young man sat up straight to see who called out to him. He was greeted by the indifferent, bespectacled face of Glynda Goodwitch. "You look like you have a mild headache. Will a simple painkiller work?"

"Ms. Goodwitch!" Naruto exclaimed in surprise. "Ah I-"

Glynda looked confused by the reaction. "Now what might be the matter?"

Naruto calmed himself down. "No…it's nothing. What brings you here?"

"I'm here to pass the time by reading a book." The Huntress replied. "Is it safe to assume you're doing the same?" Naruto eagerly nodded. "I see, and you're reading about…" The woman glanced at the title of the book, and found it amusing to see the boy completely go against his words a week ago. "You're reading about Aura. Why would a custodian want to read about something like that?"

"It's just research!" Naruto said in a panic. "That's all there is. It made me curious when one of the freshmen was tossed straight into a pillar and didn't die on impact." Glynda appropriated herself into a moment of pondering. She agreed that to a normal civilian, a circumstance like that would rouse curiosity from one who had never heard of Aura in general.

Glenda took a seat on the other side of the table in front of Naruto. She sat cordially, and asked the young man, "And what have you learned, if I may ask?"

"Aura is locked normally." Naruto started off. "It needs to be unlocked by a person with an unlocked and controlled Aura or must be faced by a deadly event. The second one pushes a person's limits out in one last burst of energy that affects the soul." Naruto's expression tensed. "In both cases, the physical…man-manifus-"

"Manifestation"

"Manifestation of the soul is pushed outwards into the real world." Naruto finished the sentence, but did not stop there. "Aura is mainly used for defense and healing. They act like a second skin that lessens the power of an attack, or if more Aura is applied, completely stop the attack." Glynda was surprised by Naruto's ability to understand that from just reading it. Maybe the boy in front of her is a diamond in the rough.

"You understood all that from reading it once." Glynda remarked with a little awe in her voice.

"It helped that my boss told me similar info." Naruto admitted while scratching his head. "That and the book really is made for dummies like me. Until it _lied_ and gave me these really big words that just hurt my head…" Naruto cradled his cranium as he recalled the frightening words that pained his brain.

Glynda smiled. It was nice to have a one on one chat with someone with a drive to learn. "Well it's good to see that you're taking advantage of Ozpin's offer." She said to him. "Have you been researching anything else?"

Naruto stiffened. Could this be his chance? Could he ask this woman to unlock his Aura? Will he be able to find out the extent of Cielo Fiamma's power? All these questioned haunted his mind. ' _No._ ' He thought. ' _I shouldn_ _'_ _t take advantage of her. I_ _'_ _ll find a new way to unlock my Aura._ ' But could he share a piece of truth to the woman? The young man refused again. Naruto did not see or feel any ulterior motive from her, but he was wary. Granny Lupa told him to always be careful when it came to talking about Cielo Fiamma. The weapon was infamous in its own right. Though he didn't know what it was infamous for, casually talking about it would breed more consequences than good.

He finally answered with, "Not really. I've been reading the dictionary and a grammar book just so I can have a proper chat with someone really smart."

"I say you're well on your way when it comes to conversation." Glynda uncharacteristically praised. Naruto smiled at the acknowledgement of his brain. "Though your pronunciation and reading skills might need some improvements. In due time, you will catch up."She stood up, and was ready to leave. "If you need anything, you can always ask me for help, and I will try to aid you in any way possible."

Naruto looked down. "Is it really okay? I'm not a student of this place. Would you really go out of your way like that?"

"You've displayed some surprising advances to me today. Given the right topic, you have a drive to learn. I see you as a student, Mr. Uzumaki." Naruto gave a small smile. "I will continue seeing you as a student as long as you persist on learning, understood?"

"Yes ma'am!" Naruto answered eagerly.

"Good. Now I do believe it's dinnertime. Don't you have work over at the cafeteria?"

Naruto looked at the clock. "Oh not again…"

"I'll return the book for you." Glynda said. "Now go. You're late, aren't you?"

"Thank you, Ms. Goodwitch!" Naruto bolted out of the room to quickly do his duty.

Glynda took the book Naruto read, and returned it to its shelf. Moments later, her Scroll vibrated. She took it out, and was ready to answer whoever called her. It was Ozpin. "Yes?" She asked.

 _"_ _Didn_ _'_ _t think you had it in you to be so_ _…_ _supportive or motherly for that matter._ _"_

"Ozpin…" The woman growled out the Headmaster's name.

 _"_ _I_ _'_ _m just stating observation._ _"_ The man promptly ended the call to not incite even more of Glynda's wrath.

Naruto was stationed in the cafeteria the freshmen occupied. He was busy mopping up a trail of vomit from the floor. He had a feeling that it had to be Jaune who did this, but it was a bit mean to target him instantly. Ultimately, he didn't ask who caused this; he wasn't being paid to be an investigator. He's here to clean.

"Oh. Uzumaki, how did your little research spree go?" The boy turned around, but did not stop mopping.

"Well…I guess. Turns out you were right on the money, Boss!" He said happily. "Almost word for word, your explanation hit the main points of what I read." The older janitor smiled, and left the boy to continue his work. He pulled his mop back to clean the cleaning tool and restart anew.

* * *

Yang sighed. She searched the cafeteria for that hunk she saw yesterday, but he wasn't here. ' _Could he be an upperclassman?_ ' She thought to herself. ' _Where_ is _he?_ ' She internally whined. He was her Adonis. Part wild, part mannered and kind, and all around hottie. She shivered at the thought of making out with such a guy. Yang wanted him badly. Which is totally unnatural, to which Yang agrees. Something about him just pulled her in. She was attracted to him physically, that she can admit, but she hardly knew the guy, and she wants to make out with him. ' _There_ _'_ _s more to that guy. There just has to be. Yang Xiao Long does not easily fall in love!_ '

"Yang? You okay?" Ruby asked her elder sister.

"Hm? Oh, I'm all right, Rubes." Yang answered normally.

Ruby crossed her arms, aware of Yang's inner turmoil. "Did you find another guy to hound on? Like Smithy Sauce?"

"Hey I do not harass guys I like! And don't call him 'Smithy Sauce'! It's rude to purposefully pronounce his name wrong." Yang retorted back at the younger girl's offensive remark.

Ruby waved it off, and focused on the main point of this conversation. "So you sigh like a damsel instead?" The younger sister suggested.

"No. I did-"

"Yang." Ruby interrupted. "You were like this: _Haaaaaaaah_ _…_ " Ruby easily emulated Yang's tone of disappointment and somewhat lovestruck at the same time. "Whoever you're crushing on this time should not be crushed on in the near future. Duck Butt Smithy Sauce should be the only victim." Ruby sternly told her elder sister.

Blake had to add to that. "What do you mean by that? Who is this...individual?"

"It was Halloween, and Yang and I went to a haunted house. We were on an upper floor that had the tape that said 'do not cross.' We thought it was part of the props, so we didn't listen. Next thing we know, Yang fell through the floor, landed on her crush, and crushed his legs. He had a duck's butt for a hairstyle." She added the last part as an afterthought.

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "What a eerie sequence of events. That had to be staged."

"Tell that to the guy that won't accept Yang's apology. He's still mad that he can't get out of a wheelchair. It's been more than seven years now."

"Rubes!" Yang yelled indignantly. "I thought I told you to not tell anyone else about that!" She grabbed her little sister into a headlock as she proceeded to noogie her little sister's head, thus messing up her hair.

* * *

" _Yang! Stooooppp that!_ " Naruto heard a shriek come from across the room. Naruto looked for the source, and saw a fighting Ruby in the grasp of that bombshell of a woman. It was nice to see the girl in red doing well. It made his day to see someone's day was eventful. He was done with his work, and placed his mop on the mobile bucket of vomit and cleaning solution. He placed a Wet Floor sign on the site, and happily walked away with the idea that nothing could go wrong today.

How wrong he was.

He felt something step on his bucket before it thrashed wildly onto one side. The immediate yelp of some poor soul caught his attention. The resulting sound of a splash and a body hitting the ground reached his ears. "I hate my luck…" Three people stood up and shouted at him.

"Hey! Watch it, Jumpsuit!"

Naruto scowled and placed his hands in his pocket. "I have a name. I suggest you learn it before you give me nicknames." Naruto had this situation happen to him several times. He was prepared for some fists to fly.

"Like we care." Said one of them.

"I'm sorry, but _your_ guy stepped on my stuff." Naruto explained. "He's at fault for not looking." He pinned the blame of the guy that swam in vomit and cleaning solution. "I couldn't exactly just yank it away fast enough without the vomit spilling out." One of them walked up to him, and pulled at his collar while lifting him up.

"You think you're a hotshot, Sir Mops-A-Lot?"

"No. I'm a Janitor. You're a Huntsman-in-training. You're more talented than I am." Naruto casually replied. "By the way, I have a question…"

"What?"

" **Who told you you could touch me?** "

A chorus of screams alerted the first years to an amusing scene: a blond janitor broke bones of Team CRDL for the simple reason of one of them touching him without his permission. Team RWBY was astonished by the violent grapples the Janitor did. Each of them recognized him. To R, it was awesome to see her savior from embarrassment kick ass. To W, she was glad that she did not anger the Janitor yesterday. To B, he was her target. To Y, her Adonis finally showed. To J, or Jaune, he wondered if Naruto was overly modest, or did not truly know his strength. To Ozpin and Glynda, they agreed that Naruto needed a proper combat instructor to polish his abilities. Videos were captured, photos memorialized it, and jokes were made throughout the Dustnet. The headline of one article?

 _Come to Beacon: Where even our_ **Janitors** _can kick ass!_

 _ **And that**_ _ **'**_ _ **s it for this chapter. How did I do on this one, does it pace a bit better? Obviously I wrote Naruto rejecting Glynda**_ _ **'**_ _ **s offer to help to extend his role as a Janitor. For those of you who called Naruto weak or implied he is, I said that because to him, he hadn**_ _ **'**_ _ **t met anyone weaker than him so far. All his fights have been a struggle, and he made a style that focused on brutality to override the Aura defenses. To him, it looked like shoddy struggling, and it was, but to others, he is decent.**_

 _ **I have a plan when I will have Naruto meet Blake to reveal his origins and unlock his Aura. I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m sure it**_ _ **'**_ _ **ll be obvious when I**_ _ **'**_ _ **ll do it, so I won**_ _ **'**_ _ **t say any more. For the moment, it**_ _ **'**_ _ **ll be a bout of slice-of-life for Naruto until I deem him ready for plot advancement.**_

 _ **Review, follow, favorite, I don't care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	5. A Simple Request

_**I see my last line in the last chapter got a few laughs here and there. That**_ _ **'**_ _ **s good. I guess I can dish out some humor.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 4: A Simple Request

It had been a week since the Janitor Incident. A whole week of that, and the wheels of fate and popularity turned. Beacon Academy was given a ton of requests from foreign students to transfer to the school, or other schools asked to have Naruto as their student. Ozpin declined without any hesitation. His school was full; he did not need extra students. That and he wanted to keep an eye on Naruto. Speaking of the boy, young Naruto gained a following. Not overly huge as one might expect from sudden popularity, but enough for the boy with low self-esteem. Ozpin spied on the boy currently doing a morning jog. Followed by one of his followers. In other words…friends.

"So…why are you following me again, Ruby?" Naruto asked as he continued to do his self-established routine of a morning jog to prevent himself from becoming late again.

"I want to know how you fought like that!" Ruby answered with a smile as she jogged at the same pace as Naruto. Her signature red cloak fluttered in the wind despite the apparent change of clothes that were more appropriate for the activity: a green tracksuit. "The way you just overrode their Aura by doing internal damage was so cool! Some could even say it's youthful!" Naruto suddenly shivered, and slowed his pace. Ruby looked concerned when the blond boy grimaced at her words.

"Don't ever say youthful." Naruto bluntly said. "That word somehow strikes a nerve."

"Okay!" Ruby did not question it. "But still how did you do that? You've gotta be strong to do that kind of damage to a person with Aura."

"I'm not strong." Naruto said confidently. "Those people were just stubborn enough to not know when to fall to their knees." Ruby hummed. Naruto was overly modest for a skilled fighter. Sure his style was…unrefined, but it did the job, and kept a person down for the count a lot longer than normal methods do since the guy actually dislocates bones to do it. Not even Aura can heal something like that almost instantly.

"Okay I'll admit that compared to others, you won't last long without Aura." Ruby muttered. Naruto did not react to the statement. "BUT~ I can see you improve if you spar with someone that's strong!"

"What's the point?" Naruto asked. "I'm going to lose."

Ruby pouted, and tackled the young man. "You are with that attitude."

"Meh." Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Unless you can get someone to spar with me, then I won't do it. If you've seen the people that pass me, they want to avoid me. I don't know why…" The girl narrowed her eyes, and stared at Naruto. Naruto glanced back, and shivered when he met Ruby's harsh stare. "What?" Ruby kept staring. "Ruby…seriously what is going on?"

' _He can_ _'_ _t be_ that _oblivious that people are scared of him, right?_ ' Ruby thought to herself. "How about you fight my sister, Yang?" Ruby suggested. "She's been itching to fight you."

"Yang." Naruto tested the name out. "You mean that pr-um…blonde in your team?" Ruby nodded. Naruto remembered Yang. How could he not? She hit it off in all the right places. That fiery golden hair looked amazing on her. It was like she was an empress of flame. Her curves made her look like a dancing flame that moves with the wind. Then he got serious. ' _When did I get poetic for a girl?_ ' He wondered.

"Yep!" Ruby chirped. "C'mon. You should totally do it!"

"And mess up my routine?" Naruto asked incredulously. "Next time, Ruby. If I have a day off I-"

"I'll take that as a yes then." Ruby sprinted to her dorm room, and left Naruto in the dust.

"Wait, Ruby! I didn't say I agreed to it!" Naruto yelled. The girl was long gone; a trail of dust in her sprint was all that remained. The young man slouched. "This sucks." He muttered. "It can't get any worse can it? I mean I _am_ going to lose to a golden beauty like that." He scratched his head. "Why would Ruby insist that I'm good at fighting? She's gotta be kidding, right?" He looked at his Scroll for the time. "Better get some breakfast." He sprinted to the nearest cafeteria while declaring, "Ramen, here I come!"

* * *

A knock on Ozpin's door alerted him from his spying. He immediately stopped, and answered, "Come in." Glynda was on the other side of the door, and she looked…refreshed to say the least. She had more pride in her footsteps than usual. Ozpin noted that, and mentioned it while he leaned forward onto his desk, "You look to be in a buoyant mood. Did you finally get that new crate of Dust to experiment with, or are you elated by the Fiamma's progress? It couldn't be anything else, so which is it?"

"It's the latter." Glynda answered. She crossed her arms underneath her bust. "You should see his progress, Ozpin. Given time, he could unravel more mysteries of Aura and its applications in battle or even in a domestic setting." The Headmaster was alarmed. He advanced that much in a week? "That boy's been researching how different types of elemental property in a person's Aura can affect Dust of the same element. He's going into theoretical experimentation in such short notice. Apparently the librarian was shocked to see the boy search up almost all lower reading level books on Aura. It's as if he's thinking like a-"

"A hardworking student with a drive." Ozpin finished for her.

"Indeed…"

"Glynda… are you possibly unlocking your maternal instincts?" Ozpin asked without any tact. Before Glynda could retort, Ozpin continued. "You've been spending more time with the Fiamma in your one on one sessions than paying attention and criticizing your students during class." Glynda had the decency to keep silent at her blunder. She would not make a fool of herself in front of Ozpin. Not for a silly matter like this.

"With all due respect, Naruto has shown more initiative compared to some students in our roster." Glynda spoke out her observation of the freshman class. "He's willing to learn despite his difficulties doing so, and doesn't accept any obstacle. Am I not in the right to give the boy a chance to improve himself when he needs it the most?" Ozpin all the while took a sip of his coffee.

"I understand your glaring support for the boy. It pains me to admit that as a student, Naruto would be among the most gifted this Academy has to offer." Ozpin agreed with Glynda's statement about some of the students who lacked the drive, and coasted on by. "He would be a wonderful Huntsman to train. His budding knowledge that you've told me moments ago is a testament to that." Glynda predicted a 'but' somewhere in the next statement. "However, we cannot interfere with his advancement. We can give the occasional hand, but we must not push out of our boundaries."

"Ozpin! He's a-"

"I've watched your little tutor session with the boy a week ago." Ozpin interrupted. "When you asked him if he was researching anything else, he looked conflicted. Now why would that be?" The Headmaster gave Glynda a chance to answer. When she did not reply in his undetermined time limit, he continued for her. "The boy knows he needs to unlock his Aura to summon the flames, to utilize the flames together with Cielo Fiamma. He knows that to unlock it, he needs a Huntsman or Huntress to do it. He doesn't even think about the other option because he runs away from the idea that he's a decent fighter." Ozpin paused for a bit to let it sink in. "He chose to decline your offer because he wants to find a way to do it himself without being in debt to others. He is already in debt to Lupa, and look at him devoting his future to repaying his caretaker."

"Are you saying that I should stop helping the boy?" Glynda asked with a bit of malice in her voice.

"You _really_ are becoming maternal. This is the quickest transition I've seen in a woman." Glynda's fists tightened. "But I digress. I'm saying to let him reach a wall that he cannot vault over." Ozpin told to the woman. "You can continue this little routine you have, but you must let him discover his strengths and weaknesses. Once he does, and he trusts us enough to ask for our help, we shall be there to pull him over that wall."

"If you want him to build trust in us, then you have to interact with him. His low self-esteem can only be undone with support and guidance, which I've been doing for a week with success!" Glynda fired back. "This boy may be competent in talking to adults, but he lacks that communication convergence with his age group." She slammed on Ozpin's desk. "Naruto is lacking trust in them because of his occupation."

"And you think making him your apprentice will help him repay the debt he so stubbornly desires to complete?" The Headmaster argued. Glynda silenced herself. He was right in that regard. Naruto only came here to do this job. He wasn't expecting to learn much of anything during his stay in Beacon. "I agree with what you're saying; he needs this. But we should not baby him. In time, he will be ready to trust in us to help him develop in the future. And by that time, I will be ready to tell him the truth of his heritage, his weapon, his father…" Both adults took a breath or two. "Am I understood?"

The woman calmed herself down. "Yes, Ozpin." With the civil discourse done, she turned around ready to leave the room.

"Glynda…" The man called out as if begging her to stop. She did only because he was superior to her. She listened intently for the next words to come out of Ozpin's mouth. "It's not your fault you abandoned your child to the man who fathered him. You believed you weren't ready, and judging by the man you described to me all those years ago, he wasn't as well. He probably thought of a solution most beneficial to the both of you."

"Ozpin…you just don't understand." Glynda weakly replied.

"And what's not to understand?" The Headmaster questioned. "Your child would be right around his age, wouldn't it? He's essentially an orphan too. Are you projecting that image of your lost child onto the boy?" Glynda stormed off, and left the room.

' _You don_ _'_ _t understand_ _…_ ' Glynda thought begrudgingly as memories seeped into her head.

 _"_ _He won_ _'_ _t be accepted. The only way is for us to be wed._ _"_ _He said sadly. Glynda lowered her gaze to her sheets._ _"_ _Hey now_ _…_ _I thought it was clear that you didn_ _'_ _t love me like that._ _"_

 _"_ _Firefly_ _…"_

 _"_ _Hm? My nickname? Having second thoughts beat down your steel heart?_ _"_ _He flashed a wide smile to her._ _"_ _I_ _'_ _m ready to make you my wife if it means a safe life for our child._ _"_

 _"_ _I can_ _'_ _t do that. I_ _'_ _m sorry._ _"_

 _"_ _It_ _'_ _s all right. I_ _'_ _ll send him to someone I can trust._ _"_ _He reassured._ _"_ _He_ _'_ _ll be safe there, and I_ _'_ _ll send letters to you to give you an idea of how he is doing. Will that be fine?_ _"_

 _"_ _Yes._ _"_ _She replied happily._

 _"…_ _I_ _'_ _m going to miss that smile._ _"_ _With that sentence done, the man gave her one last kiss before disappearing out of the window._

Glynda did not want to see that memory again. It stung too much. ' _Forgive me, Hotaru... It seems I'm learning regret for my actions._ ' The first letters she got were that of happiness for the safety of the child she bore. However as the weeks went on, guilt took place of happiness. She wasn't worthy to know the status of their child. She wasn't worthy to see her son's face. The letters kept piling up and up until twelve years later, the final one reached her door. None of those letters aside from the first few were opened and read. He had yet to name their child by that time, and most likely had figured one out in one of the later letters. But she refused to read them for the persisting reason that she wasn't worthy to be a mother.

' _Why_ did _I feel a connection with the boy?_ ' She asked herself. ' _Am I trying to atone for my sins by helping him become a better man?_ ' This day was becoming a bit too heavy for her. She went to the cafeteria to get some breakfast, which might help her clear her head.

* * *

It was in the afternoon. Naruto silently cleaned the floor of the arena Glynda used for the first years for Combat class. It was a big area with a lot of ground to cover; much more than the ballroom the freshmen stayed in. He underestimated the size of the place, and look where that got him: all alone to clean the place up. "I hope I can get some reading done after this…" He muttered to himself. He wouldn't rush the process. A big place like this could lead to some spots being missed. He did not want to do that.

A few hours of lonely cleaning, Naruto made a song to keep him sane. It wasn't very original, but it got the job of not frustrating himself done. "Just keep moppin', just keep moppin'" He would repeat vocally before it turned into hums. When he lost focus, he would sing it again to keep him on track. He had tunnel vision by this point. This was hour two, and he had yet to finish the other half of the floor. He still hadn't gotten to the seats yet! "This is going to take forever…" He moaned.

"I'll say. You're not even halfway done yet." A female voice from behind agreed.

"Gah!" Naruto flailed around at the sudden presence of another person. "Who-" He stopped himself when he looked at the girl who scared him. Blonde and gorgeous with lilac eyes. Naruto recognized her immediately. "Oh…Yang, right?" The girl nodded. "What are you doing here?" He asked quickly.

"To confirm when we'll have our spar."

"Ruby ran off before I could give an answer."

"Okay." Yang said. "When are we having our spar?" Naruto fumbled a little.

"Didn't you hea-"

"Didn't hear a no."

"Well, Yang. I do-"

"Objection!" Ruby dashed into the arena and skidded to a halt next to her sister. "You _will_ spar with my sister!"

Naruto stared blankly. "Overruled." He turned around to continue his job of mopping the floor. "End of discussion."

"Nope!" Ruby interjected.

Naruto did not answer. If he did, he'd return to the same argument earlier in the morning. He kept mopping and ignoring the girls.

"C'mon, Sir Mops-A-Lot. Why won't you spar with me?" Yang asked.

"Because I know I'll die." Naruto bluntly replied. Forget losing, he saw one of her matches with some of the other first years. He would die against those punches.

Yang scoffed. "Pshaw. You're fast enough to dodge my punches." She told him. "My punches might be quick, but they can be countered with your grapples." She continued listing off weaknesses only to entice Naruto to a spar. Unfortunately, it seemed to be failing. Naruto continued to ignore them by singing his mopping song.

"If we ask someone else to spar with you who has the same amount of close combat ability, but with less striking power…would you do it?"

Naruto sighed. "Ruby, I'm trying to do my job here. Could you not ask me right now?"

"B-But would you do it?" Ruby asked the young man as if begging to find some revelation in fighting someone. "I mean you're good enough to beat a team of Huntsmen without having your Aura unlocked!" She praised him for his achievement. "We just want you to-"

"That was a lucky shot." He said as dismissal of his skills. The blond young man stopped his mopping. "I know you see me as someone with potential. Each and everyday, I see you all working hard at it. It makes me jealous that you get to fight for what you want. I want to fight too. I want to protect my family. But I'm so weak… I'm a fly, and all of you guys are flyswatters." The girls did not speak. It looked like Naruto needed to vent out a little, so they let him speak his mind. "I'm not a student. I'm a Janitor. I came here to get money to help out my caretaker in the orphanage I grew up in. I came here to make the little kids that hadn't seen or heard of their parents have a little slice of life with whatever I can pay with the wages this school has to offer."

"In addition, even if he does improve, he's not a Huntsman in the eyes of the Guild of Remnant." A baritone voice of a man spoke.

Naruto recognized the voice. "Boss!" He exclaimed. "Ah! I- Boss I can explain-" The young man panicked, and spouted incoherent excuses.

"Relax. I've heard most of it." The older man pinched the bridge of his nose. "How about this. What do you think of me fighting you?"

"Huh?"

The white-haired man pulled on two identical buttons on his janitorial jumpsuit. He flicked them up as if they were a coin. When they came down, two swords, one Yin, the other Yang, were in his hands. "I'll fight you. I mean I have my Aura locked, so we are equal in that regard. What do you say?"

Naruto's clenched fists, which he didn't know were like that the whole time, slacked. "…Fine. You're all so stubborn about me doing this. I'll fight. Let me get my weapons." He went into the locker room. A minute later, and he came out with a pair of gauntlets of magnificent craft. Ruby ogled at it like it was a diamond. Naruto walked up to his boss, and took a fighting stance. "Are you ready, Boss?"

"Call me, Emiya. Boss makes me sound like a leader of a mafia."

* * *

Ozpin stared at his screen. He leaned back to process the scene he had witnessed. "Well…this is one thing I did not expect him to do."

 _ **That**_ _ **'**_ _ **s it for this chapter. Fair warning, I won**_ _ **'**_ _ **t be doing daily updates anymore since college work is catching up to me. I**_ _ **'**_ _ **ll be sure to upload a new one when I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m done with it. What do you think of this one?**_

 _ **Review, follow, favorite, I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care.**_

 _ **This is Azure, signing off.**_


	6. A Simple Truth

_**Yes. I brought out the Emiya card. Emiya can be interpreted as either Shirou or Archer. You just have to watch out for his actions, and see for yourself which version of Emiya he is. And about the Glynda thing. Who knows. I might just be messing with you by making it a red herring. But still, it does give a layer to the building relationship the woman built with Naruto, doesn**_ _ **'**_ _ **t it?**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 5: A Simple Truth

Yang and Ruby were awed by the sight of two combatants on somewhat equal skill. The sister duo watched as blades meant to maim were blocked instantly, and countered upon. Some were parried, and set up for an immediate feint to trip up the other. "I have a feeling that the joke on the Dustnet may actually be true, Ruby." Yang told her little sister. Said little sister grunted her agreement. "That older one, Emiya, was it? He's got a lot of experience."

Naruto ducked and weaved around his boss's slashes like a pro boxer. His feet were constantly moving, to keep himself alert against feints his opponent could possibly use. He kept out of range, and only entered Emiya's domain when he saw an area he could enter into. His movements were like a dancing flame that stayed on the wick of the candle. He moved with the incoming sword's motion. He anchored his foot then countered in a far more separate direction. The dual-wielder arched back in time for the fist to marginally miss.

"You are more skilled than you say you do." Emiya remarked while still swinging his weapons. Naruto was forced to evade even more now that the swordsman upped the speed of his swings. "You've been hardwired to evade and wait for the right moment." The offensive pressure Naruto's boss displayed forced the young man to pace back with every maiming swing.

The young man blocked a swing, and made the blade bounce back. He countered with a straight punch. Emiya lurched forward and off to the side. Naruto readjusted, and grabbed the man's shoulders in time to vault over a sweep meant to cut off his legs. "Granny Lupa told me that a wolf always waits for the right moment to corner the prey." He repositioned himself with his feet on his boss's back.

"And which one are you?" Emiya asked as he stabbed the general area Naruto was. Naruto pushed off the man's back, and landed decently into a skidding stop. The older janitor straightened himself. He was amused by this boy's survival instincts. It was unlike anything he'd seen before. Truly, this young faunus was something special. Emiya turned around, and held his blades in a reverse grip. The left hand crossed over to his right, and the flat of the Yin blade was parallel to his forehead. The right hand was positioned at the elbow with the Yang blade directing its point to the right. He made a guard with his blades to form a Z shape.

Naruto did not let go of his fighting stance. "I'm neither. I'm the bird that watches from afar."

Ruby watched closely at the janitorial boss's form. Instantly, she saw the trick. "He's a tricky swordsman. He's baiting Naruto with openings." Ruby noticed. "It's suicidal, but effective in the right hands."

"He's only using it half the time." Yang mentioned. "As if holding back."

"Personally, I think it's because the boy is not as skilled as veteran Huntsmen, or that utilizing that kind of form means thatman knows the openings he make will be the one seasoned warriors will aim for. His opponent is merely going against that idea by using brute force and instinct." Blake said from Yang's right. "I'm surprised both of you caught on."

"Blake!" The sisters shouted in sync.

"Don't forget about me." Weiss said from Ruby's left. "How rude of my teammates to forget one of their own."

"Hey!" Ruby pouted at the indication that she didn't care about her team. "We left you to finish your dinner. We didn't want to bother you because we were looking for him." She put up a finger, and pointed it at Naruto, who swung at his boss with an uppercut to the chin once he got close enough.

The man parried the blow, and opened Naruto's right side. The boy's right foot dragged behind all along the floor in an arc. The swift movement allowed him to miss the counter that would have cut from his right shoulder to left hip. Naruto saw an opportunity to disarm his boss, and took it. The outstretched right hand was caught at the wrist. The man's eyes widened. Would he get caught by this simplistic arm break? The man flipped grips, and stabbed at the gauntlet to make it miss.

"That guy?" Weiss eyed the blond. "His footsteps and general are movement are stellar for a Janitor. His offense is lacking, while his defense is a tad better." She criticized. "Those punches are easily telegraphed, and with that man as his opponent, little could surprise that experienced warrior from this standard street fighting." Yang glared at the girl in white. "What? Don't tell me you believe he's Huntsman material."

"He's holding his own against an obviously experienced and unconventional swordsman." Blake interjected. "I believe he has what it takes." Weiss frowned upon the statement. Blake hardly cared. She focused on the wielder of Cielo Fiamma intently. "If those _boxing_ gloves are actually used to their full potential, then this fight would be another story." She watched as Naruto rolled along the floor since he took damage from a straight kick to the abdomen. The rest of her team eyed her suspiciously. To ward off that suspicion, she pointed out a obvious feature of Cielo Fiamma. "Look at the structure on the forearm of his gauntlets. They look like exhaust pipes or something akin to it. It could be a propulsion system, but why is he not using it?"

Ruby chimed in. "Maybe he needs Dust?" The leader of the team suggested.

Yang had to destroy the girl's theory. "I'm sure that if he's had his weapon for as long as he's shown comfortably fighting with it, then he probably would have used Dust by now, Ruby." Blake and Weiss agreed. "If it is powered by Dust, I doubt he wants to kill his boss."

"I don't think that man as any qualms about dismembering his subordinate." Weiss pointed out. "The man's swings are meant to-" A satisfying impact echoed around the nearly empty arena. The girl in white quickly slammed her mouth shut. Naruto sent the man skidding across the arena with one punch. The members of Team RWBY were shocked to see that the young man's punch was that powerful. "How? When did he?"

Blake offered some insight to alleviate Weiss's confusion. "He probably acclimated to the amount of punishment needed to deal some considerable damage to a fighter with an Aura, and used it in this fight. When all you've been fighting is warriors with Aura, you would expect all of them to have one right off the bat. Though in this case…Naruto most likely forgot."

"What a nasty right you have there." Emiya complimented. "If I didn't know any better, I thought you were trying to kill me." Naruto winced at the interpretation.

"Sorry!"

"And that concludes your battle, Mr. Emiya and Uzumaki." The stern voice of one Glynda Goodwitch spoke. The occupants of the room were startled by the addition of a new individual. The two males stared at the woman behind Emiya. Immediately, the two bowed apologetically. "Stand up properly." She ordered. The janitors complied. "Now what brought this on? I recall that you, Mr. Uzumaki, are supposed to be cleaning this place, not stain it with your sweat. And you, Mr. Emiya, drawing your blade at a young man without an Aura is tantamount to murder with the experience you have!" The white haired man disengaged his swords, and returned them to their place on his jumpsuit as buttons. "Don't you know what one well-placed strike would have done to the boy?"

"Have a nice scar to remember me by?" The man shrugged his shoulders. "It's not that serious." He played it off. "This kid has got what it takes to beat the sheep in your roster. If he's this good without his Aura, I imagine that he won't even need his Aura to protect him while in battle because he's so used to the idea he'll die in one hit." Glynda took into consideration the man's assessment of the boy. Along with what she saw near the end of the spar and the footage from two weeks ago, Naruto downplayed his skills immensely.

Naruto listened in on the evaluation. He didn't know whether or not his boss compliments were right. All he did was run until he got the openings he needed to land those hits. It wasn't anything special in his honest opinion. He didn't understand why everyone was so intent on making him see this 'potential' he had. His potential was equal to that of-

"I will admit, your skills are tuned, but they are acted upon crudely." Glynda gave her judgement regarding the young man's skills. "They can be improved." She said. "Would you like to participate in my Combat class?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Am I even allowed to be in that?" He asked incredulously. "Won't that be an insult to others to face a Janitor?! That idea will only cause people to doubt themselves. Sure make a joke about me being good at fighting, but if they fight me and lose…won't that make them a laughingstock?" The older janitor placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Uzumaki. Think of it this way. If they lost to a janitor of all people, then are they capable of being a Huntsman or Huntress at all?" Emiya asked of the boy. "If they think they are unworthy to continue after a blunder like that, then they should just go home." Naruto was about to retort. "But if they learn from the experience, and admit that there are people around them, they will strive to get better. Slowly or quickly, they will improve."

"What are you saying?"

"He means you're good enough to be a student here at Beacon, dummy!" Yang yelled from the stands.

"Like I've been trying to tell you for so long!" Ruby added.

"Team RWBY." Glynda turned her attention to them. The girls flinched at the stern tome she used. "What are you doing at a time like this? Don't you have homework to do? I suggest you do it, or I will set you up to do cleaning duty for the cafeteria for a week!" Without a word, the girls sprinted out the arena.

Naruto looked at his Cielo Fiamma. ' _Am I actually a great fighter?_ '

"Mr. Uzumaki. Your performance was stellar considering who you fought." Glynda praised. "Your boss, Mr. Emiya, was a successful mercenary that gave up the contract life to do a menial job as a janitor. In the criminal underground, he's called Archer, the man who never lost a battle or his target."

"And I won't be in the plot limelight after this."

"What?"

"What?"

Glynda shook her head. "I will not allow you to degrade your skills nor do I want you to think that those skills are insufficient. We are professionals, Naruto. We know skill compared to luck. Yours was pure skill." She said the simple truth firmly. Naruto stared at the woman's green eyes. There was not a trickle of deception in her eyes. It was unadulterated truth. "Never let anyone or better yet yourself think that you are weak. You are strong and a great fighter. Whoever taught you how to move like that had your safety in mind."

Naruto's smile went from cheek to cheek. "I guess I can tell Granny Lupa that an actual Huntress and retired merc said that her training process actually works then!"

"So will you join us for Combat class?" Glynda asked.

Naruto hesitated. "Um…maybe another time." He said. "I doubt your students have the same control on their power and weapon as you do. Without Aura, I most likely will be a stain on this gigantic floor that I have to clean up." Glynda took the underlying message.

"I see. Well carry on with your work then. I expect that floor to be spotless when I teach tomorrow!" The men accepted the order, and started to gather their tools to clean the arena once more. They wordlessly swept the floor as if nothing happened.

* * *

Night fell. Our young janitor was in the middle of reading another book on Aura. He read on the balcony on the second floor of the library. It was a peaceful night to read the book under the stars, so he chose to sit there and read. "Aura is an untouchable energy… Channeling it and condensing it into a form turns it into a piece of the real world. To do that is extremely exhausting. Aura manipulation is a near impossibility without an enabler to help shape out the form or a Semblance for it." Naruto paused at the foreign word. "Semblance…what's that?"

"It's an individual's unique ability that's awakened from inside." The young man turned around to look at the beauty in black. Golden eyes pierced the nightly veil around the two teens. Compared to Yang, she was more subtle in her beauty. Almost…invisible to those who simply pass by her without a second glance. While not as voluptuous, she was lithe, quite flexible, and more than likely a Cat faunus because of the black bow on her head as camouflage. She almost looked like a floating body with how the black of her clothing melded in with the night.

"Um…thanks." Naruto said unimpressively. He pulled out his right hand. "I don't believe we got to introduce each other properly. Naruto Uzumaki." The girl shook the hand that was given.

"Blake Belladonna." The two let go of their hands, and left a growing pause between them.

"A pretty woman in black… I can see where your name comes from quite easily." Naruto said without hesitation. It hadn't registered to him until seconds later that he flirted with the girl in front of him. "U-Uh… Don't take that last part too seriously. I was just translating it and I put the words alongside your face and-" Blake didn't react to the flirtation attempt, but did to the translation of her name. The young man had gaps in his intelligence.

"You know Italian?"

"Bits and pieces of it." Naruto admitted. "My Granny Lupa taught me some of the words from that language." Blake narrowed her eyes at the mention of Lupa. Naruto was too engrossed in his embarrassment to see the suspicion in Blake's eyes. "But anyways, you were saying something about Semblances? Could you tell me more?"

Blake eyed the young man in front of her. "Why do you want to know fundamental combat aspects of a Huntsman or Huntress when you don't aim to be one?" The question startled Naruto for it was not what he wanted to hear. Blake didn't stop with that question. "Why do you look for the things that make them strong? What is your aim?" She asked calmly. To lash out would send the janitor running out of the balcony.

Naruto took a deep breath. "That is a question that rings in my head recently." He told the B of Team RWBY. "Ever since I got here, it's tested my capability as a person to ignore what's around me to focus on my goal to help out. But lately I see that I can't ignore it. They continuously bash against my head. They want to show me something I don't want to see. Yet deep inside me, I know I want to look."

"Something reignited your dream of becoming a hero?" Naruto shook his head. "Then what is it?" She noticed the boy look to his right hand. She had an idea, but she wanted to hear it from his mouth.

Naruto put up his right hand, and balled it into a fist to show the rings on it. "I've been blessed with a weapon that won't work by any normal means. I have the skill to fight as well. But together…I feel incomplete. The idea that I need to be strong to protect all I care about in this world is so far away without my weapon's full potential." The downcast tone in his voice told much of the young man's dilemma. Though it went deeper than that in Blake's eyes.

"Your soul isn't into it." Blake said to the boy.

"Huh?"

"You say you want to protect those you care about, but your soul isn't into the idea." She explained a little bit clearer. "Your voice lacks resolve. You have no idea what to protect them from." She added to her original statement. "If the obvious threat of a Grimm doesn't frighten you, then what does?" She asked him directly. "Crooks? Rapists? Murderers? Mad men?" The words seeped into the young man's brain. "What makes you scared enough that you want to get strong to protect them?"

"I-I don't know…"

"What?" Blake thought she misheard that. Was this the legacy of the Fiamma family? An uneducated half-faunus without any drive in life? This was not what she expected of him. Was everything her family believed in sent down the drain by this…irresolute boy?

"I really don't know…"

"You don't know what led you to that goal?" She questioned sternly.

"I have no idea!" Naruto confessed.

"You don't know, or you've lost that answer?"

"I…" His response trailed off. A sharp pain in his head disrupted his focus. His right hand made contact with his head in an attempt to ease the pain that only continued to throb. "I…"

 _"_ _Let her go!_ _"_ _The boy yelled desperately as he crawled up to the men. Eyes of azure were welled with tears. Fingernails were dug into the dirt. Muscles were strained to maximum output. He struggled to escape and help her. But the person on top of him wouldn_ _'_ _t let him go._

 _A knife was in view. The tiny blade was sent to the little girl's neck. Naruto flinched. He could not see anything but the whites of their eyes, and he could do nothing but watch the man twiddled around with it against the girl_ _'_ _s neck._ _"_ _You kids shouldn_ _'_ _t have gone in here to play then. Look what your actions did to the both of you._ _"_ _The man throatily laughed at the children_ _'_ _s situation._ _"_ _First this little lassie. Then you._ _"_

 _"_ _No_ _…"_ _The girl said weakly out of fear._

 _"_ _On the count of three._ _"_

 _"_ _No_ _…"_

 _"_ _One._ _"_

 _"_ _Stop it!_ _"_

 _"_ _Two._ _"_

 _'_ Cielo Fiamma! Help me save her! _'_ _Naruto begged desperately._ _'_ Let me save her! Please! _'_ _Something in him stirred. His determination surged more than ever._ _'_ Even if it's the last thing I do…Even if I die here…Please let me save her! _'_

 _"_ _Three._ _"_

 _"_ _LET HER GOOOOOOOOOOOO!_ _"_ _The world suddenly burst into a wall of flames._

Naruto's eyes lost their lively quality as he fell to his knees while he cradled his head. The pain continued like a continuous electric torture. His mind was being shattered! He needed to stop the pain, but how could he do it? "Gh! Rgh!" He bottled in the pain. It had to stop at some point.

"N-Naruto?" Blake asked out of concern. She knelt in front of him to check on his condition. "What's wrong?"

"I'm…the one I'm afraid of…" He said. "I'm the reason why I don't fight at my best… I'm the reason why I want to protect them." His screams of desperation still echoed in his head. ' _Because I_ _'_ _m the reason why she was burnt alive_ _…_ _and why I lost my flames._ ' Was his final thought before he lost consciousness from the pain he endured.

 _ **And that**_ _ **'**_ _ **s all for tonight folks! Again, I might be throwing you off with that Glynda thing; so take it with a grain of salt, or you might get disappointed in the end. What do you think of this one? Did I show enough of his skills to give you guys an idea of what Naruto**_ _ **'**_ _ **s capable of in CQC? I hope so because this was more of an exhibtion than an actual match IMO.**_

 _ **Review, follow, favorite, I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	7. A Simple Discovery

_**I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m back. So! Quick clarification. Naruto**_ _ **"**_ _ **locked**_ _ **"**_ _ **his Aura after it was unlocked in that flashback scene. That**_ _ **'**_ _ **s why he doesn**_ _ **'**_ _ **t want anyone**_ _ **"**_ _ **unlocking**_ _ **"**_ _ **it for him, nor does he want to be in that type of stressful situation again. And for the guy that said he needs to regain his**_ _ **"**_ _ **flames of youth**_ _ **"…**_ _ **just no.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 6: A Simple Discovery

Blake sat on a chair in front of Ozpin's desk. The Headmaster calmly examined the slightly distraught face of Blake's. Off to the side, Glynda gave the young woman a blank expression that radiated some form of restrained malice. The two older people were quite alarmed to hear about young Naruto's condition. Hoping to find out more from the primary source, Ozpin asked, "Ms. Belladonna. Could you explain to us what happened?"

"I-I got too curious about him." Blake confessed. "It brought out something he didn't want to remember. It was probably a suppressed memory of a traumatic event." Neither the Headmaster or his subordinate said a thing. It was obvious what happened from the recording. Blake derailed the lighthearted conversation into unknown territory without any tact; completely unexpected of the girl to do based on her quiet demeanor.

"And what did you ask him about that led to his now…unconscious state?"

"That is…" Blake trailed off. She was debating inside her head. Disclosing the truth would further the questions towards the topic of why she was interested in him in the first place. Lying about how she was impressed with his skill, which she did appreciate to some degree, wouldn't garner the same effect as Yang and Ruby's heartfelt appreciation. The way Ozpin stared looked like he knew more than he should, and that was ringing all kinds of alarms she did not want to go off. If she didn't respond, her past would be covered in plausible deniability. If she did, and it went to her predictions, then she would be trust into a past she did not want to connect to anymore. The mere thought of worrying about her words irritated her.

Glynda could not take the girl's silence. "Speak, Ms. Belladonna. What did you say to him to cause such a violent reaction?" Blake stiffened under the woman's petrifying gaze. "Speak clearly and concisely. I will not accept half-truths and weakly structured lies."

Blake could not muster the ability to sigh. She was far too terrified of the woman's increased strictness to even breathe in the same space as her. It was suffocating her to be in the Huntress' presence. Nonetheless, she needed to answer. She did not need to have the woman hound her even more by responding with back talk. "I asked him why he went though the trouble of researching topics that only Huntsmen and Huntresses are supposed to know." She replied. "It only made sense to ask when he was a civilian who had no place to learn about the technicalities about the lifestyle of a Huntsman or Huntress."

"You…"

"Ms. Belladonna. Clearly tonight's events have stressed you." Ozpin stated clearly. "Your ability to have some tact in your rare responses are nonexistent at the moment. If you are unwilling to give us a normal response, one without your personal opinion inside, I will have to put you in for a small punishment period for harming a staff member of this Academy. Shall we continue this tomorrow in the morning?"

The blonde Huntress was appalled. "Ozpin! This cannot-"

"Glynda…" Ozpin warned. The woman backed off. He turned his focus back onto Blake. "So…will you give us a normal answer now, or shall we do it later?"

Blake built up resolve to respond properly while underneath Glynda's piercing gaze. "I wanted to know why he was interested in topics only Huntsmen and Huntresses should know about." She replied. "He gave me an answer that was vaguely something along the lines of protecting those he cherished. He also told me about his weapon that "Won't work by any normal means" and the "Skill to fight." He told me that despite his goal, combining both skill and his weapon gave him an…empty feeling." She paused. Blake felt trapped between two sets of scrutinizing stares.

"Empty…" Ozpin tested out the word. "What do you mean?"

"His responses lacked resolve. I told him that from his words alone, his soul did not agree with his drive. I told him that in order to have that goal, he must have had something to fear to push himself to get strong for the people he cared about." Neither veteran Hunters could refute the speculation. Many an aspiring Huntsman or Huntress had that same goal; moreover, many of them had the same motivation that originated from fear of their loved ones getting hurt. Neither said anything, and let the young woman complete her retelling. "I…I interrogated him about what caused him to want to protect his loved ones. He didn't know."

"He didn't know what drove him to that goal?"

"Not at all." Blake replied. "But…after a few moments of pondering, a sharp pain entered his head. It's probably a scene of his trauma. He fell to his knees, and muttered something I barely heard."

Ozpin narrowed his eyes at Blake's hidden lie. She really needed to accept her background as a Faunus. "And that is?"

"He's the cause of his own limitations." Blake paraphrased. "Whatever his trauma, he cannot access his Aura because of it. In fact his Aura is unlocked, but is only there at the bare minimum."

Glynda was surprised by the statement. "You could sense his Aura? But I've been in such close proximity, and I haven't felt a shred of it!"

"Like I said, it's weak." Blake reiterated. "But it's slowly rising probably due to his exposure to combat and due to the fact that he'd been stressed through your efforts to learn something when he should be cleaning." Neither adults took to refuting the claim. "It's as if his broken soul was being mended slowly. During that fight today, I saw a more confident young man. Now…"

"Then you broke it. His resolve, his confidence, you've shattered them." Ozpin said without missing a beat. The bluntness of his words startled Blake. Though she couldn't say she didn't expect it. It was her fault she was in this situation at all. "It seemed time healed his forgotten wound, and you reopened them. Now there he is, on a hospital bed unable to wake up for some unknown amount of time. Is this how a former White Fang member should treat her up and coming lord?"

Blake jumped off her seat away from Ozpin and Glynda, and crouched on all fours like a cat when she landed. ' _I should have known this man knew_ something _about me_ _…_ _but why this of all secrets?!_ ' Her panicked thoughts spiraled further into plans of escape, ways to buy time, or even a way to lie and justify her violent reaction. ' _This is not my day_ _…_ ' She told herself.

Ozpin stood up from his chair. "Relax, Ms. Belladonna. I care not of your previous affiliations with that group." That did not satisfy the young woman. "I simply care for the heir of that group." Now it only grated her even more. Ozpin supposed it's because of the rare concept of a human caring about Faunus.

"And why would a human care about a Faunus heir to the high seat of the White Fang?!" Blake snarled. She did not care about her open identity as a Faunus. She cared about the Headmaster's agenda with the heir. The heir of the White Fang under the hands of humans is quite the ace hidden in their sleeves. "Is it because of Cielo Fiamma? Is he a bargaining chip to make the Faunus surrender? What is he to you?"

Glynda stepped forward. "The better question is what is he to you?" She asked in her normal stern tone. "His guardian gave us the responsibility to watch for him. We are to keep him away from the White Fang, and make him competent enough to handle the threats coming for him." Her eyes narrowed. "You are a potential threat. We have every right to question you either for the sake of it or not. Your identity as a former White Fang member adds to your suspicion."

"Don't be hasty, Glynda." Ozpin said. "Let us hear what she has to say. I'm sure jumping to conclusions will only lead to more problems in the long run." The Headmaster offered the seat in front of him once more. "Shall we have a proper discussion once more, Ms. Belladonna?" she nodded. "Then the first question to address. What is he to you?"

* * *

"Heeeeey! Big bro! Wake up!" A brash and childish voice shouted.

"Big brother…" Another one meekly called.

"BIG BRO NARU!" Chorused a choir of children.

The noise reached his ears. A set of blue eyes opened up halfway. "Hm? What's with all the racket? Rom? Rem? You two making trouble for Granny? Wait…that's just you Rem." The comment got an indignant "Hey!" from the child. "I'm probably dreaming this up. Better get some more sleep." Naruto's eyes closed to resume rest.

"Like hell you are!" A woman shouted as she bonked the young man's head. The impact shook the boy awake. It sent him sitting upright and alert. The young man looked left, right, up, and down. The image processed slowly, but in time he realized what he was looking at.

"Everyone?! What are you doing here?"

His head was patted on. "We can't see our dearest little Maelstrom?" Asked a woman with black hair tied in a ponytail. She then proceeded to rub the organized chaos that was Naruto's hair. "That hurt us, Naruto." Naruto was uncomfortable with the woman messing with his hair, but did not stop her from doing it. "You passing out for three days also hurt us."

"Big sis...Camellia…" He said with awe. "Why are you here? Wai-What did you say?" Naruto thought he misheard.

One of the young ones sat on the bed. It was Rom. "Big bro…you've been in bed for three days. What happened?" Rom asked the blond. "We were really worried."

"Um…I've just been working too hard, and didn't rest well." Naruto lied through his teeth. "I guess my body didn't like that. I'm sorry for worrying you."

"Now now, Rom. Off of the bed." Lupa ordered the child. The young one complied, and leaped off the bed. "Now I need to talk about boring things with Naruto. Would you and the others go outside, and stay there for a bit?"

"Okay." He said. The others followed the meek boy out the room in an orderly fashion.

"Caesar." A red-haired fourteen-year-old perked up at the call. "Could you take watch of the children? Camellia, Lily, Chamomile, and I need to talk about something serious with Naruto." The tank-top and shorts wearing teen nodded, and saw himself out of the room to give the adults plus one young adult the privacy they needed. The remaining adults in the room now stared at the young man.

"What really happened?" Lupa asked. Naruto hesitated in answering. How could he tell them? How could he say to their faces that as a child, he murdered people? Accidental or not, he killed them to save a girl that no doubt died in that fire. He was weak to do anything then. He's still weak to do anything meaningful now. "Keeping silent won't help. If you don't speak up, I could have Chamomile force your hand by using the method you hate so much." Chamomile smiled mischievously. Her frizzy silver hair with yellow tips did not shield her circular spectacles that shined momentarily as if inspecting prey or a specimen.

Naruto flinched. He sighed since there's nothing he could hide from them. "I remembered a fire…and a hostage situation."

Lupa was alarmed. She knew the day when his memory resurfaced would come. She just hoped it was a calm reaction. "What happened?"

"I burned the criminals…and the hostage." Naruto answered morbidly. "I was a murderer and I didn't even remember!"

Lupa and the others were silent. They remembered the scene all too well. The young man in front of them was the only one to survive the inferno in that abandoned building. The heat and flames were so intense. Violent. Desperate. It burned the whole building to save someone, but failed. Whoever it was inside the building, he or she was long gone. The flame only grew as it ate at the young man's anguish and desire to burn his failure out of his head. That flame indeed cleansed all. Nothing was left of the building. No ordinary water could extinguish it. No Dust could remove the flame.

Nothing could stop it until the young man stopped grieving.

"It was an accident." Camellia told Naruto. "You didn't mean it."

"My Aura burned her!" Naruto pointed out. "My Aura and weapons _burned_ her and _everyone_ else _._ They were _barbecued_ _._ " He snarled as he balled up his hands into fists that clung to the blanket on his lap. The adults could see the pain Naruto suffered. The young man lowered his head out of shame and grief. The agony of that event from all those years ago resurfaced. The foreign feeling of tears welled up in his eyes returned. The long-forgotten emotion of frustration boiled in him. "I may not have meant it, but she still died! Sage still died in the end. I was trying to save her dammit! She didn't have to- How can I live with myself for doing this to her?"

A woman in a white summer dress and silver armor fashioned like a knight's crossed her arms. "You could accept that what has happened cannot be changed." Lily spoke up. "Or you could wallow in pity and grief for something you couldn't control. It's your choice." Everyone kept quiet. The sheer tactlessness of the statement shocked everyone because they did not expect the woman, whose known for compassion, completely go against the idea. "But did you forget that man's words? Did you forget his words of wisdom to you?"

"That man?" Camellia asked Lily for clarification.

"She means _him._ " Chamomile vaguely answered as she adjusted her glasses. Camellia finally understood who they were talking about, and kept quiet. They watched and waited for the young man to speak. When it was clear he wouldn't or wouldn't, they let him ponder a bit longer on the past. It was when his tight fists got even tighter that Lily left the room since she received her answer from him. Neither Chamomile nor Camellia dared to stop Lily. Her tough love act was one thing Naruto needed to get out of this rut.

"Naruto." Lupa called out to the frustrated boy. "We will let you be. You can grieve for as long as you want. However, if you don't change in the end, then you will trample upon Mr. Fiamma's words. Are you willing to break your promise to him?" She asked before she left the room. Only Chamomile and Camellia remained.

"I've already broken that promise…" Naruto muttered. "I've lost my flames. I won't be able to use my Aura again…"

" _What?! He_ _'_ _s awake?!_ "

" _You can_ _'_ _t go in there yet, pretty lady!_ "

" _Why not?_ "

" _Big bro is still having big people talk with Big sis Chamo and Cam!_ "

" _I_ _'_ _m sure they_ _'_ _re pretty much done-_ "

" _Yang! Don_ _'_ _t just-_ "

"Hey! You all right, Moppenstein?" Yang happily shouted in her overly boisterous and energetic demeanor. She then opened her eyes to see the dejected expression and body language in the young man she wanted to see. Two sets of eyes stared hostilely at the blonde. She backed off. Her back collided with a panicking Ruby, who pushed her deeper into the room. Blake followed moments after.

"I apologize for my teammate's actions." Blake said with a bow. "We'll leave now."

"Belladonna." Naruto called.

"Yes?"

"You wanted to know why I wanted to learn about things that make a Huntsman a Huntsman right?" He asked with the aim of not hearing an answer. "I did that to somehow gain access to my Aura without resorting to unlocking it by the help of one or get into a deadly situation. I did that so that I can fight to protect properly. But you already know that part." He explained clearly and concisely. "Thanks to our conversation, I found out my Aura is suppressed to the point of near nonexistence. You were right. My soul really wasn't into the idea."

"You were holding yourself back unintentionally." Blake said. "Why?"

"I can't control my power." He said. "I won't ever be able to."

* * *

 _"_ _Do you know why the Fiamma has no ability to use his Aura?_ _"_

 _Blake looked confused._ _"_ _Didn_ _'_ _t I just tell you?_ _"_

 _Ozpin leaned back on his chair, and popped open an article via hologram._ _"_ _Oh you were right for the most part. You just didn_ _'_ _t know the cause of his trauma._ _"_ _Blake and Glynda stared at the man with shocked eyes._

 _"_ _You knew?_ _"_ _The older woman asked._

 _"_ _It_ _'_ _s the reason why I was letting him build trust in us._ _"_ _Ozpin answered._ _"_ _To rush things like this allowed for such a giant setback. No doubt he will be in a misplaced state of self-pity._ _"_ _Both women were left out of the loop by Ozpin_ _'_ _s words._ _"_ _This here article says that a raging fire started at around the nightly hours of seven. This fire did not cease to burn until the very next day in around the same hour. By then the building had nothing to set itself apart from the flames. I believe that firefighters were faced with_ only _a wall of flame. Water would not stop it. Dust could not help. Such a flame was caused by Naruto himself; it was his Aura that burned it down._ _"_ _Blake was astonished by the facts being presented to her. She did not know the exact abilities nor the properties of a Fiamma_ _'_ _s Aura. This was new to her; her family_ _'_ _s stories of the Fiamma family_ _'_ _s feats told her nothing of the intensity of their flame. Sure they cleared out a battlefield, but it did not stay for a day._

 _"_ _Why?_ _"_ _She questioned._ _"_ _Why would he do such a thing?_ _"_

 _"_ _In that building, approximately seventy-five people, not including Naruto, were charred black. One of them, a little girl_ _'_ _s. Now in this building, a known gang hid there. This girl was in the arms of one of the gang members. One of the other members, what_ _'_ _s left of him, was on top of Naruto._ _"_ _Ozpin let them fit the pieces of the puzzle into the picture it made._ _"_ _Do you see the cause of his trauma?_ _"_ _Blake understood. It was the error caused by desperation and inexperience._

* * *

"I can tell you this much, Naruto. Mistakes can't be fixed. We can only move forward from them. The past will haunt us, but we must be able to handle them. I've made mistakes of my own that I'm willing to forgive myself and move past from. The reason why I want to move forward from them is because I know they don't define who I am, but rather a piece of it. They are not the whole of my being. Question is...do you let your mistake get to you and define you, or will you acknowledge it and reimagine yourself?" Blake proceeded to grab Yang's collar, and pulled the protesting blonde out the room. Ruby left as well, but not without looking back with worry in her eyes.

Naruto's eyes were glazed. No focus or drive to them. She wanted to say something to cheer him up, but could not find the words that may achieve that purpose. She only hoped that he would be better soon, and that he would accept his abilities in the future.

 _ **And that**_ _ **'**_ _ **s it folks. What do you think of this one? Not much going on in terms of action, but I hope this was a bunch of characterization for the important people in this chapter. The question remains: What does Blake think of Naruto?**_

 _ **Review, follow, favorite, I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	8. A Simple Way to Help

_**I expected some of you guys to comment on the last chapter**_ _ **'**_ _ **s angsty route. Could you blame me? Sure you could. But with how Naruto accidentally killed a child his age**_ _ **—**_ _ **someone he knew. Could you not say that it was appropriate for Naruto to wallow in his despair and mistake? That**_ _ **'**_ _ **s my little spiel on the matter. Let**_ _ **'**_ _ **s move on.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 7: A Simple Way to Help

Naruto woke up, and got off his bed. The faded memory of the girl's face did not mean it did not fade out her pleading voice, her struggled whimpers, her stifled sobbing. He also couldn't forget the hands that did it all; his very own. His hands flashed between normal appearance to lit aflame. The phantom image jostled the young man's perception.

His room gained a distinct tint not unlike the color of faded beige from the clouded sunlight out his window. His room became more orange. More…lively. More…on fire. The young man panicked. His door was blocked by a intense wall of fire. On the floor, the conflagration creeped towards him. The shelves stacked with ramen and a few notes he got from his studies were charred by the infectious hand of the ever-growing flames. His bed caught fire, as well as his cabinet and ceiling were coated in the same destructive element. It's then that he realized the sweltering heat that enveloped his room was something far more than unbearable. He braced his face from the intense blaze. The smoke rose, preventing Naruto from standing up properly. He crouched to have some breathing space and room to think of a way out. It seemed like the source originated from the door, so his best bet was to go out the window.

A silhouette of a little girl stood in his way. She wore a white top underneath a pair of green suspenders. Naruto stiffened at the sight. The girl, Sage, was in front of him. Her eyes, covered by her jade hair, begged him to save her. Naruto wanted to do just that; to rewrite the wrongs of that day. A sudden wall of flame encompassed his vision. When he regained proper sight, he reimagined that day once more.

" _ **LET HER GOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_ " His hands lit aflame. He pushed forward, and cocked his right fist. The fist connected cleanly. The man who held Sage was stunned by the blow. Sage got out of the man's grasp, and braced herself on the ground. The desperate, adrenaline-induced young man channeled his Aura, and spun around. His flames contorted to follow his motions. A tornado of orange flames cleansed the place of life in an instant.

He turned to Sage, and helped her up.

The outcome didn't change. The moment his hands touched hers, her skin charred black like a fast-acting plague that burned her right down to the last cell of her body. " _Failure!_ " She cried out in a haunting and shrill shriek.

Naruto bolted out of his bed. He fumbled off it, and bumped into his desk with a resounding thud. He regained his bearings, and realized what happened. He leaned his head back to rest it on the desk's surface. He ran his hand through his hair."A nightmare within a dream… Just how _messed up_ am I?" He asked himself. He raised his right arm to look at the cause of it all. "Cielo Fiamma…I-I…I don't have the ability to control you." He confessed to the weapon as if it was alive. "Granny Lupa and Mr. Fiamma don't know what they're talking about when they said I could wield you."

 _"_ _Your fire is your soul. Let it out. Let it breathe. If you ache and despair from your fears, your fire will burn. If you soothe and nurture it by being with others, your fire will harmonize with others. If you reject your fire, you won_ _'_ _t be able to use it. Promise me that you won_ _'_ _t reject it._ _"_

He stood up with disappointment visible because of his slouch. ' _I_ _'_ _m sorry, Mr. Fiamma. I can_ _'_ _t fulfill that promise._ ' He turned to his cabinet to ready for the day's work ahead of him.

* * *

 _"_ _Do you let your mistake get to you and define you, or will acknowledge it and reimagine yourself?_ _"_

' _Easy for you to say. You probably haven_ _'_ _t murdered someone, Blake._ ' Naruto thought begrudgingly. Those words, which were uttered a week ago, still lingered in his head like a broken record. Most of Team RWBY pestered him to feel better, but it wasn't that simple. He shook his head of the thought to focus on his duty. It was lunchtime, and he was on duty to clean up the freshmen cafeteria. Mindlessly, he swept and mopped the floors in a pattern that went from the corners into the aisles between the tables and chairs. He was doing such a good job at routine cleaning that he could sweep the place without bumping into a person or smacking someone in the face with the end of his mop. While he was in this mode, no one could guess what he thought. No expression could be made out from his blank face. He was aware that he shouldn't put his personal problems in the workplace; it would be unprofessional of him to do so. In a way, focusing on something else helped heal some of the pain caused by his mistake.

It's a wonder how he didn't get arrested for the murder of so many people. Official reasons were that he was a juvenile who lost control of his Aura, whose properties were able to replicate that of actual fire. Though…he thought deeper than that. He was probably let off the hook for his age and circumstance, but he also cleaned up Vale of one potential criminal threat in the future. He moved on from the thought whilst still mopping the floor.

Though it seemed his awareness failed him. He bumped into a student, who nearly toppled over due to Naruto's steady footing. He easily caught the delicate wrist of a female. Her lunch however…not a chance. He didn't have the kind of reflexes like some speedsters had. Upon closer inspection, Naruto realized he held the hand of the magnificent Pyrrha Nikos, whose celebrity status had not gone unheard of by the young man. Though he hardly cared for her status. What he could admire was her striking red hair. While Yang's hair was wild, yet beautiful, Pyrrha's was vibrant and serene.

"You okay?" Naruto asked expressionlessly as he pulled the young woman into a proper standing position.

"I'm sorry." Pyrrha apologized. She dusted herself off for any food particles that went on her uniform. Thankfully, none landed on it. She breathed a small sigh of relief before focusing on the mess on the floor.

Naruto placed his hands on the end of the mop, then set his chin atop the back of his hands. "Why are you apologizing? I wasn't the one paying attention."

"Well for starters I bumped into you while also not paying attention. And I added more to your workload." The young woman explained. Naruto disagreed.

"If anything, I made my own extra work." He shrugged at the event. "Though it's not a big problem for me. More messes to clean means more money in the paycheck." He said nonchalantly. He offered a hand. "Naruto Uzumaki. Pleasure to be acquainted, Ms. Nikos." Pyrrha was stunned. Not because of the fact he knew her; that's almost a given.

' _That name_ _…_ ' She recognized it. How could she not? That name is uncannily familiar. ' _Who is he?_ ' Pyrrha returned the handshake, although her grip wasn't as firm as Naruto's. If anything, she was being cautious. Who was this young man? "Likewise. But please call me Pyrrha. It would be rude of me to have someone my age call me formally."

"All right." Naruto didn't reject the request. "How can I refuse that reasoning when it comes from a beautiful amazon?" He smiled as he said the innocent compliment. Oh how he remembered his earlier comment about this place harboring amazons of destructive potential. This woman in front of her was just that. She was the epitome of the title. Her bronze armor accentuated her flawless skin and entrancing hair; a mix of both beauty and brawn.

Pyrrha blushed a little since few ever say "beautiful" so casually to her face. "Um…thank you for the compliment."

"No prob." Naruto opened his wallet, and handed about ten lien. "Here. This should cover your lunch." Pyrrha immediately refused. She couldn't just accept money from a worker so easily. She urged the young man to return it to his wallet, yet he did not budge. "Take it. I'll be fine with a few lien missing. You however need your strength to keep doing what you're doing." He forcefully placed the lien in her right hand, and pushed her towards the general direction of the cafeteria line to keep her out of his cleaning business.

The young woman did not return. She did not want to bother him with his work. A shame since she wanted to talk a little longer. Then she remembered. This was the young man who team RWBY talked about: the Janitor who could fight exceptionally well for one with a lack of Aura. In fact, he's the one who made Beacon the headline several weeks ago! But even so… ' _Why does he have that name?_ '

"Can you believe that guy?" A student said in a hushed whisper to Pyrrha's right.

"Who?" Asked the addressed student.

"That janitor!" Pyrrha slowed her pace. She had a feeling she knew where this conversation headed, but listened in to confirm her suspicions. The young man who replied like he was infuriated—disgusted even. "How could he just walk up to The Invincible Girl and talk to her like he's on the same level as her? It's almost insulting!"

Pyrrha tightened her fists. It's people like them that made it hard for the Mistralian lass to make meaningful friendships because of inconsiderate folks who harass those who get close to her! She took a step in the direction of the the conversing duo, but stopped when she heard what the partner of the conversation responded with something she did not expect.

"If you're so insulted. Why don't you do something about it?" The second student suggested in an overly sarcastic manner that not even the general idiot would not miss.

"You know what? I will."

Yeeeeeep…

"Woah!" The second student placed his hand on the hotheaded student's shoulders to prevent the rash young man from doing something incredibly stupid. "I was joking! Did you not hear the sarcasm drip off my mouth like a frickin' waterfall?"

"Does it matter? He's belittling a celebrity!" The insulted Huntsman-in-training nearly shouted as he forced himself to stand up. A few taps on the back alerted the brash Huntsman. "Huh?" He so originally uttered. The young man met face-to-face with the Janitor he detested. Said Janitor was rather indifferent. His face showed some form of annoyance. His eyes were half-lidded with his eyebrows furrowed. His right hand was scratching the back of his neck.

"Um…you got something to say to me or no?" Naruto asked. "Because if you don't, I can always go away."

"Chester! Stop and think about what you're doing." The calmer one of the two Huntsmen-in-training urged the other to not do anything. The reputation the blond had made in the second day of school is proof enough that even he should be someone to look out for. "Do you want to not be able to move for a while? Because if you say the wrong things, that will happen." He didn't even want to imagine his partner suffering through the pain of dislocated joints and fractured bones. Medical practices could only do so much for damages like those. The rest is left to rehab, and that at least takes a week with the advanced tools the Academy has to offer.

"Yeah I got something to say."

"Well could you spit it out, I need to be somewhere." Naruto said snappily. From the way he said it, the bystander, Pyrrha, knew the janitor had heard the talk about him. She also knew that the janitor did not appreciate talk like that just by the body language and response he gave. "I'm done with my shift and all…so yeah." He paused. "Oh wait don't tell me you want to put me in my place?"

"Exactly." Chester spoke confidently. "You don't have the right to talk to Ms. Nikos so casually." Pyrrha took a few steps forward in anticipation of a confrontation. It was getting dangerously close to throwing fists, and she did not want Naruto to get in trouble for participating in a rising conflict.

"Wow." Naruto snarked. He pinched his nose. The other hand was hidden in a pocket. The young blond was absolutely impressed. He laughed at the statement. "Um…give me a recap would you?" Naruto slung an arm around Chester whilst still amusing himself with what the Huntsman-in-training said. "Please help me. Give me an accurate historical account of who died and made you King of BS?" He asked with cheery malice. "I can't speak to a lady casually because of her status? Sure that makes sense initially, but if the person with the higher status told me I could talk to them casually, then I can. You, who jumped into conclusions, must be a special kind of stupid, or one of those people who can't live with the fact that they need to chill out and not get offended about everything."

"You…!"

Naruto released his hold on Chester, and walked away. "This ain't a scene… I don't need trouble. But if you come looking for it with me as your accomplice…" He stopped, and glared at the irritated freshman. "It will not be pretty." He continued walking away with his janitorial equipment wheeling itself away with him while leaving a trail of silence from those nearby to hear his speech.

Pyrrha was rather amazed that the janitor was quite restrained. She had underestimated his patience. She looked at the lien Naruto gave her, and internally vowed to pay him back. She got her lunch again, and returned to her table where both Team RWBY and her team sat at. Immediately she was hounded by most of Team RWBY with questions regarding Naruto.

"Hey Pyrrha, you talked with that janitor right? How was he?" Ruby asked with concern.

"He's doing rather fine. From what you've told us, he was in a rather depressed state, yet I did not see a shred of it."

The last member of the female team adopted a thinking pose. "That shouldn't be possible." Yang told the Mistral champion. "Ruby, Blake, and I saw his eyes were lifeless. It lacked drive to them! Could he have recovered…?"

"Unlikely." Blake gave her opinion in the matter. "No one could get over their mistake of that magnitude so quickly. He was probably wearing a mask to perform his duties without any interruption from concerned parties—minus Weiss—like us." The Heiress stopped herself from a verbal reply. She would not be insulted by this. She didn't even know the young man. For all she knew, it could be a hoax! Those marks on his cheeks were suspiciously of Faunus origin. She kept her distance away from the individual who's the hot topic among her teammates and classmates.

The sensible ones agreed with Blake's statement. They had heard about what the young man went through, and were distraught by the imagery. Blake chose to disclose what Naruto remembered, which was based on what Ozpin revealed. She only did it because Ruby was so concerned for him. Blake specifically told only her leader. She didn't expect Ruby to tell Team JNPR. In the end, they understood that Naruto's current personality was a façade. There was no way he could have gotten over it in so little time.

The two teams left. They would figure out something to help out, but first…homework.

* * *

Pyrrha dialed a number on her Scroll and waited for the receiver to answer it. A few seconds later, and she was met with a gruff voice of a young man. " _Sister? What can I do for you in this ungodly hour of night?_ "

"Iska. I need to talk to you about mother's family."

The young man on the other side of the phone groaned. " _Sister. Do we need to have a talk about nicknames over the phone rule?_ "

"Sorry." She said bashfully. "But once again, regarding mother's family. Do you recall any living relatives she had?"

"Not in particular no. Though it's plausible there is at least one alive and well in some part of the possible that some are alive and well." The young man, Iska, replied cautiously. "Where are you going with this?" He asked.

"I met a young man who bore mother's maiden name." Pyrrha answered.

" _Annnd? This is important why?_ "

"You know how mother wants to reconnect with her side of the family!" The amazon berated her little brother.

" _Maybe you_ _'_ _re jumping the gun._ " Iska said. " _You just met this person. Who_ _'_ _s to say this is a mere coincidence? For all we know this is some person who changed his name, or adopted it because no one in particular uses the name._ " Pyrrha was about to retort. " _I know you want to help mother in her quest to find answers to her lost clan, but you must confirm it with this person to know if he is truly an Uzumaki by blood or by choice. Understood?_ " The elder sister saw reason, and calmed down.

"Understood, little brother. Good night."

" _Good night._ "

* * *

Jaune took a nightly stroll around the fountain in front of his dorm. He was appreciating the tranquil nightlife around him. The clouds parted to reveal the various stars in the night sky. They sparkled with a distinct intensity to them. He sat at the edge of the fountain to enjoy the sight up above. He looked down to watch Vale's cityscape. The aura of light, caused by the various sources of illumination, blanketed the city like a warm blanket. He didn't even need to head out to the cliff to know the nightlife over there was bustling. However, a figure in the distance wasn't quite as lively as the background. Jaune realized the figure was none other than Naruto, heading for the cliffs.

' _What could he be doing over there?_ ' Jaune wasted no time thinking because from the looks of things, Naruto's hesitant steps were a kind of visual he did not need to imagine with the cliff over on the horizon. He ran.

* * *

Naruto cradled his right wrist with his left hand. Cielo Fiamma's crystal still shone a magnificent blue. It radiated security, confidence, harmony, and the pure, blue sky. It was everything he was not. Everything he failed to be because of that day. Sage's face haunted him even now. He wanted it gone. He wanted to erase the pain inside. That means the cause of this needed to be removed from the equation. ' _Aura manipulation is a near impossibility without an enabler to help shape out the form_ _…_ ' He recalled. Cielo Fiamma was his enabler. ' _In a way, this is for the best. Granny says you_ _'_ _re dangerous for a reason. I know that now. I hope you will find a better wielder than me, Cielo Fiamma._ ' He pulled on the rings on his right hand.

"Hey, Naruto!" Jaune shouted from behind. The janitor immediately stopped. Jaune walked up to him. "What's up?"

"…Nothing much." Naruto lied. "You?"

Jaune decided to be honest. "Disastrous."

"Why?"

"I'm a screw up." Jaune confessed vaguely.

"How? You were chosen to be a leader of a team?"

"That's just it! I'm not cut out for it." Jaune expressed his feelings on his appointment as leader. "I'm not a great fighter. I'm not a charismatic person. I'm not even a strategist that can lead my team to victory!" He said dejectedly. "I more cut out as fodder for the Atlesian army than as a leader of Huntsmen and Huntresses."

Naruto didn't know what to say to that. He could hear his thoughts parrot Jaune's own outlook of himself. A screw up beside a fellow screw up. Though one screwed up far more than the other. Though Naruto knew that Jaune had a chance to fix it. He was in this school to hone that skill for all the areas he's weak at. He needed that to get through Jaune's depressing ego. "Don't put yourself down over that. No one's expecting you to lead a rebellion. People are expecting you to lead and fight decently. You're in school to make that expectation be a reality."

"I guess…" Jaune wasn't confident in Naruto's words.

Naruto breathed deeply. "No person is perfect. They will make mistakes." Naruto told Jaune. "You just have to face it, and move on. A leader leads with confidence. Leading will have bad outcome depending on the choice, but it up to you to decide whether it's right or wrong. You must be confident in your choices."

"Well…are you confident in the choice you're about to make?" Jaune asked.

Now that Jaune said it. Naruto's words were very hypocritical of him to say since he's doing the opposite a minute ago. Naruto disliked hypocrisy. It stung to know that he was doing that unintentionally.

"What are you talking about?"

"I saw you about to do something you might regret." Jaune explained. "The scenery is only confirming my imagination." Naruto caught on quick. He stepped back from the cliff side. "Good. I don't want a friend to die when I could have done something about it." Jaune said happily.

"…I'm not _that_ depressed, ya know." Naruto muttered.

"Hm? Then why are you out here?" Naruto did not say anything. The Arc boy thought that maybe Naruto contemplated telling the truth. "Do you want to talk about it or…?" Naruto still didn't say anything. "Bro code 122: All conversations between bros are subject to "bro to bro confidentiality."" Naruto raised an eyebrow. Jaune groaned. "I promise I won't tell anyone about what happened tonight, okay?" Jaune outstretched his right hand. "I'll shake your hand to make it official. Deal?" Naruto accepted the handshake.

"Deal."

 _ **And this is it for this one. Was going for empathy as the way for Naruto to heal. Plus, with a guy, it**_ _ **'**_ _ **s more easier to say the truth than compared to the others, who would use force to make Naruto change his mind. How was this one? I hope it wasn**_ _ **'**_ _ **t too bad. Though I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m sure there are some flaws to this one.**_

 _ **Review, follow, favorite, I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	9. A Simple Push in the Right Direction

_**And here I am back with another chapter. I'm surprise no one mentioned (Iska)ndar. Are you ready for a feels trip? Nah. No feels here. At least I think there aren't any.  
**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 8: A Simple Push In the Right Direction

Naruto and Jaune sat on one of the benches that were set along the pathway leading to the Academy main doors. Neither said a thing for a while because both were unsure of who would initiate the conversation. An awkward silence brewed because of it.

Jaune decided to speak first. "So…you going to tell me what's got you bummed out?"

Naruto sat up ramrod straight. He breathed in deeply then exhaled just as much. "Fiamma iridescente, pulire tutto." His arms lit aflame, which startled the leader of Team JNPR. The sight of such a thing baffled the young Huntsman-in-training. The flames diminished quite quickly. Jaune was surprised to see a pair of red gauntlets on Naruto's arms.

"Wh-"

"This is my weapon, Cielo Fiamma, or Sky Flame when translated." Naruto introduced his weapons. "It's a strange one. Not very conventional because it's voice activated and all. That and it's supposed to spit out fire from these things over here." He pointed to the arm thrusters on the forearms of each gauntlet. "Unfortunately, I haven't been able to do that…not anymore at least."

Jaune found it odd. "Hm…you don't have a fuel source." He pointed out. Naruto nodded in confirmation. "I'm going to imagine that you've had this for a while. This means Burn Dust won't supply enough or just doesn't work with it." Naruto wordlessly nodded again. ' _Two for two_ _…_ _let_ _'_ _s see how far my intuition can lead me._ ' "So I'm guessing to use it to its full potential you use your Aura."

Naruto eyed Jaune suspiciously. "For someone who's a screw up, you sure know your way around st-struc…structural analysis and guessing them right." Naruto quipped badly. His pronunciation of bigger words still needed work. Though Jaune didn't know the young man in front of him was a slightly illiterate person.

Jaune punched Naruto's shoulder. "Hey! You want me to listen to your problem or not?"

Naruto rubbed his shoulder. "Just saying."

"And I'm just being observant." Jaune retorted.

"Right. I can see that." Naruto smiled. "You've got a good set of eyes for this kind of stuff." Jaune blushed at the compliment. For a screw up to do something right was undeniably an ego booster. Just then, Naruto's mood dwindled into a somber one. "Regarding Aura…mine is unlocked." Jaune flinched. The Arc would hear the story right from the source. Naruto raised a cautionary hand to prevent any questions. "Hear me out for a bit. It won't take long." He assured. Jaune complied.

"I'm here to listen." Jaune said. "Just say what you need to say."

Naruto breathed deeply again. "My Aura is unlocked. I myself just don't choose to use it, or rather…I reject its existence." Naruto explained. "It came to me vaguely, but rejection of my Aura is basically rejecting a piece of myself; I reject my persona." Jaune repositioned himself on his seat to face Naruto a little bit better. This was some story. Ruby's version jumped all around whereas this one is focused a little bit better. "To reject my Aura is to keep it in limbo. How I've rejected it? Well…my Aura is special. From what I remember, I have a lot of it. But that's not all. My Aura can _burn._ Places, things, _people,_ I can burn them with my Aura."

"You've killed someone before?" Jaune asked.

"Not one. Around the seventies more like." Naruto replied lowly. "Among them…" Naruto choked up. "One of them was…a friend." The Fiamma lowered his head in shame. "I'm the biggest failure ever! I couldn't control my Aura, and they died because of it." Naruto's fists opened. They grabbed at Naruto's knees. The sheer frustration could be seen as the grips on the kneecaps clenched tighter than ever. Naruto's body shook. "How-"

Jaune placed a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto stopped shaking for a moment. "Keep going with the story. Don't give me the waterworks." Jaune prompted. He needed Naruto focus on the story, not the memory. "What happened?"

"It's still fuzzy, but Sage, my friend, and I were running along the docks during a game of hide and seek. We were both hiding, and thought it would be the greatest idea to hide in one of the warehouses." Jaune eyed Naruto's tensed muscles and tightened grips. He was ready to listen to Naruto's trauma. "We hid, but we weren't alone. We weren't caught by our seeking friend. Two gangsters found us instead." It's then that Naruto breathed a little bit heavier. Jaune made his presence known to Naruto by gripping a little bit harder on the shoulder. He would not let Naruto slip into the memory. Having six sisters that remember their nightmares gave him enough experience to not let Naruto fall into the same misfortune.

"Calm down. Tell it to me slowly." Jaune told in a comforting way. "Don't lose yourself to the memory."

Naruto took a breather again. "We were dragged by the collar of our shirts, and plopped in the middle of the warehouse. I was pinned on the ground. Sage was held hostage with a knife to her neck. Turns out it wasn't a hostage situation at all. They were going to kill us for the simple reason we unintentionally found their hideout. The one who held the knife at Sage's neck counted down. I had no time to think of anything else." Naruto released his grips on his knees. Instead, he had one hand cradle the other. "My Aura unlocked under the stress. And with the special property my Aura has…" Naruto gritted his teeth. "I unintentionally burned them all." He said as calmly as possible. His quivering body told otherwise. "My selfless act to try and save Sage was useless. I was prepared to die for her! I killed her instead."

"…"

"Cute, shy, quick on her feet, and could get anything she wanted without anyone noticing. She was like a tiny, green ninja!" He choked up in his memories of the girl. "And she would never fail in brightening my troubled day…"

"She cared a lot for you if you're tearing up from the memory of her." Jaune observed. "Were you inseparable, or was she just that caring?"

"Both." Naruto answered lowly. "She was the first friend I made. We were hardly seen without the other." Naruto explained. He stared skywards. "She told me she wanted to be an explorer so she could discover ruins and steal the treasure inside them." The janitor recollected. "Would have been a fine explorer in my opinion. She had a knack for spotting hiding spots." His mood turned for the worse. "And I took that future away from her."

Jaune closed his eyes to think of what to say. He decided on questioning Naruto's present status. "So this event scarred your mind?" A nod. "You pushed the memory away like it was a bad dream?" Another nod. Jaune stood up from the bench. From what he had seen and heard, Jaune needed to push Naruto's buttons. If Naruto rejected his Aura, then Jaune would need a way to force Naruto to use his Aura. And with the way things are…only one viable option could be done. He just hoped he wouldn't come out of this badly bruised and stuck in the infirmary. Jaune asked Naruto the bold question in his head. "Then am I right if I say that you're a coward?"

"What?"

Jaune mustered all the courage he could. He would need to push all the right buttons. He would need to be critical. Other in more proper words, he would need to be an ass for Naruto's sake. Jaune paraphrased what he had heard from Naruto's story. "You reject yourself, you reject the tragedy that happened years ago, you reject your skills…" He turned to faced the Fiamma. "If you weren't going to jump off that cliff, then were you about to chuck away your weapon?!" Jaune shouted. "That's rejecting your partner in combat!" The Arc stomped his foot. "All you've been doing is rejecting all your misfortune. You think of yourself as someone that needs to be pitied, well screw you!"

"Where are you coming from?" Naruto asked puzzlingly.

"You're a damn coward, Naruto!" Jaune announced to Naruto. He pulled the whiskered young man by the collar of the shirt. "You don't want to face the truth? You can't handle it? Well here it is smacking you in the face! You can't move on from that day, and look where it's got you; a guy cleaning floors, tables, and restrooms when you could have been a Huntsman!"

Naruto shut his mouth. His taboos were never expressed in words. Jaune violated one of them. He grabbed Jaune's hand, and forcefully broke Jaune's grip on his shirt. He then pushed away the person he confided in. "You think you know me _so_ well after my story… What do you know?!" He roared at the Arc. "I'm a murderer!"

"You did it by accident!" Jaune reconfigured the words into another truth. "How could you have possibly controlled your power in the first try?! This isn't some fantasy story! You aren't going to master a skill from the get go." He shouted at the Fiamma. "And from what I've heard…I at least know that your friend, Sage, would have wanted you to live your own life, dammit! If she cared about you so much, don't you think it's likely that she would forgive you for something you had no control over?"

Naruto stepped back, but it didn't mean Jaune's points were entirely correct. Naruto's fists clenched. He let his face move to the side. "Don't say her name!" He snarled. "Who are you to decide what the dead think? Who are you to decide Sage's lingering will?!" Jaune was paralyzed in fear. Naruto's rage was keeping him in place. "Who are you to decide what I am?!" Naruto dashed in with his right fist cocked to punch the air out of Jaune. The Arc recollected himself, and regained his bearings. "Grit those teeth, asshole!" Naruto swung upwards. Jaune stepped back, and met face to face with Naruto's passing gauntlet.

"You think I'd let you just hit me?" Jaune asked with disbelief. "As if."

"If you want a fight so bad, bring your sword and shield!" Naruto ordered. "Fight me with everything you've got!" Inwardly, Jaune wanted to piss his pants. Why did he think this would work? Confidence builder perhaps? No that was illogical. Nevertheless he did as requested, and called his locker to his coordinates. A few seconds later, a locker slammed down on the pathway behind Jaune. He let his mind walk away from this; basic instinct would take over for him. Naruto was far gone into rage for civil discourse. Jaune just hoped he would come out of this okay.

"I could say the same to you." Jaune said. "But I guess that won't happen. Not with your Aura suppressed and all…" Jaune internally winced at his snide comment. He put on his armor over his uniform. Made him look like an out-of-place knight than a more formal one. He took his sheathed sword from the locker, then brandished it for Naruto to see. "You want a fight?" He hefted his shield in front of him. "You got it."

Naruto stepped into range, and hooked his right fist just outside of the shield's reach. Jaune noticed this, and moved his sword further to his left. Naruto's fist hooked onto the side of Jaune's shield, which caused the attack to miss. It also sent Naruto out of proper footing. Jaune charged shield first to send Naruto on his butt. Naruto grabbed the bottom of the shield, then pulled up. Jaune's guard was exposed and effectively exploited. One hand caught Jaune's left wrist while the other was aimed straight for Jaune's elbow. Seeing what Naruto could do, Jaune scurried. He swung his right foot at the closest leg in front of him to trip Naruto.

It kind of worked. It stopped Naruto from breaking his arm, but instead… He was thrown over Naruto. With a thud, Jaune laid flat on the pathway. Dazed, Jaune looked at the sky and a foreign object. He recognized it as a shoe, or rather the heel of it. He swung his head away. The axe kick meant to crush Jaune's head missed by a margin. The dust and debris of Naruto's attack shook Jaune into an adrenaline overdrive. Naruto was aiming to disable him. He scrambled to get up.

"You're not holding back on me, are you?"

"If I make any wrong move, you'll break my arms or legs." Jaune answered.

"Then I'll just break your shield!" Naruto spun in place. His right leg came out, and swung at Jaune. The Arc raised his shield reflexively. The kick connected with the shield. The sound was similar to that of Yang's high-powered punches: a gunshot. The impact itself only moved Jaune an inch out of place. Not satisfied, Naruto leaped off his other foot, then swung down on the shield. This time, Jaune buckled under the force. Naruto bent backwards, and placed his hands on the floor to reposition himself into a proper stance. He dashed in, and swung with a right hook. Jaune parried it away with his sword. Naruto used his left. It was blocked, and redirected elsewhere. The adrenaline-induced Jaune countered using a shield bash to the face. Once more. Another.

Naruto had it with the shield. He grabbed it again, and swung it out of the way. "I said grit those teeth!" His fist struck true. The fist staggered Jaune as his head went skywards. "You don't know what I've been through!" He sent a straight right to Jaune's breastplate, but didn't end there. He grabbed both wrists, and pulled Jaune into a jumping knee to the chin. Naruto positioned himself for a right straight. He punched Jaune's shield, which had blocked in time. ' _Love, my anger, all of my sorrow_ _…_ _emotions that keep rushing at me!_ ' Naruto punched again with the other arm. "What I felt about that day…you don't know anything about them!" The Fiamma turned around, and sent his elbows onto the shield. "I lost her!" Naruto lashed with a kick from above. "I am the way I am today because I'm angry at myself!" Naruto flipped back, then rushed with a jumping knee. Still, Jaune refused to budge. Naruto pulled the shield out of the way with his left hand. "Because the cause of it all…is my own power!" Naruto cocked his right arm for a straight. "And I would do _anything_ to fix this!" Something triggered inside him as he sent his fist flying. Jaune had recovered in time to look at the fury Naruto held in his fist. It sparked. Glowed. _Burned._

The fist met Jaune's shield once more. However the immovable Jaune was no longer that. The Arc was sent flying across the way. Somehow, he still stood. ' _Well_ _…_ _that worked._ ' He thought. His left arm stung. The various hits his shield sustained vibrated into his bones. Jaune was sure his left arm had a fracture now. "You're…finally admitting so-something." Jaune struggled to say the words. Thankfully his Aura was healing him up ever so slightly. "You know this is your power. You can't…reject a part of yourself -your own soul." He fell down on one knee. "You also admitted you want to do something about it. Well it turns out your soul wanted the same…"

Naruto wondered what Jaune meant by that. It registered to him that something warm was on his arm. He looked. "Wha?!" Fire danced on his right palm. The orange color was a sight quite familiar. However, this time…it didn't feel malevolent and scorching hot. It felt harmonious and warm. Naruto liked this version of his flames far more than the other one. It went away since the heat of battle diminished.

"One way or another, we have to face our fears, problems, mistakes, etc. It will happen at some point." Jaune commented in a faux sagely manner. "Hopefully when the time comes that I'm in the same boat, you'll help me out too, Naruto." He struggled to stand, and failed. Naruto did more internal damage than Jaune would like to admit.

Naruto looked confused. "I don't…" He failed to say the words in his head. "You were-"

"Yes. I did that to let you vent out." Jaune confessed. "Sometimes it gives us an eyeopener to the things we tend to ignore. You feeling better now?" Naruto walked up to the downed Jaune. He offered a hand to the weakened leader of Team JNPR. Jaune did not hesitate in taking it. He was grateful for Naruto's underst- A heavy blow to the head sent his forehead onto the ground.

"Moron." Naruto bluntly said. "If you wanted to help, you should have just said so."

Jaune spoke in his current position on the ground. "I initially did by listening to your story. And -well…from the looks of things, it would have gotten worse if left alone. So I gave you a little push."

"Yeah? How'd that shove back at you feel then?" Naruto asked.

"Numbing." Jaune answered. Naruto snorted. "No really, I can't feel my left arm." Jaune felt a body next to him. His right arm slung over someone's neck. "Eh?"

"I guess I should thank you." Naruto muttered.

"Anything for a friend."

Naruto scrunched his eyebrows, then gazed to his left. "We hardly talked." Naruto pointed out. "I'm instantly your friend?"

"Why not?" Jaune rhetorically asked. "Strangers are friends you haven't met yet." He said so casually.

"You're going to get mugged someday with that line of thought." Naruto deadpanned.

"You're gonna grow into a bitter, old man with that line of thought…"

Naruto did not react to the snarky remark. "When you live near the Red-light District, you have to be paranoid." Naruto explained.

"Ah… Cool story bro. Don't tell it again." Jaune weakly quipped. It seemed the damage of the fight had been done. The Arc's Aura had been drained healing his injuries. "To the screw ups who want to do better~" He cheered weakly before losing consciousness. Naruto felt sorry for the pain he caused.

"Thanks Jaune." He said quietly as he dragged the knight to the infirmary. "I'll pay you back for this somehow…" He vowed under his breath.

* * *

"Hm…Mr. Arc is quite the savior tonight." Ozpin commented. He looked up from his screen.

"It's a work in progress." A woman said. "That fire is still weak; it's still not up to par compared to the fire he caused years ago. But beggars can't be choosers…at least it manifested into physical being again."

"What do you say, Lupa? Is he qualified? Does he make the cut?" He asked the Ex -White Fang member in front of him. He could see the old woman inspect the blond leader with a keen eye, which searched for Jaune's capabilities, personality, and possible candidacy.

"I've seen two that can fit the same role." Lupa answered. "Both are equal in character I must say. However the lass is more combat oriented. Naruto will need her." Ozpin agreed. Naruto will need a heavy hitter. "On the other hand, this boy is quite a shield. His Aura alone could help him fit into the role. If he's trained better, I'm sure even he could surpass the lass." Yet another good point. Jaune's Aura makes him almost as much as a Tank as Xiao Long. Though his skills in managing his Aura is abysmal. Strangely enough, Jaune's Aura appeared to be sturdier this time around. Naruto's punches were… Well if one were to gauge it…it would be equal to Yang's punches upgraded by her semblance. Ozpin shook the thought away, then focused on the matter at hand.

"And what of the other roles?" He asked.

"Only two remain." Lupa answered. She crossed her arms. "Though one candidate is capable of either being two of the roles in the set. So it's more like three spots are open."

Ozpin rested his chin on his hands. "I'm assuming that Ms. Belladonna is that dual candidate?"

"Indeed. The Belladonna family has always had the ability to be one of the two roles."

"And what of the truly undetermined roles?"

" _Fulmine_ and _Pioggia_? I haven't met one suitable for either job." Lupa was disappointed. "Naruto hasn't made bonds with others who could fit that role."

"Wouldn't Ms. Xiao Long be suitable for _Fulmine_?"

"No." The Faunus flatly replied. "Xiao Long's vibrant and fiery Aura is more akin to the _Sole_ rather than Fulmine. Arc's purity and light is something only the _Sole_ could radiate." Her explanation seemed bare boned. Ozpin waited for extra clarification. "It's never a good thing to mix someone's Aura and Semblance to something that does not amplify either in any way. The end result would be disastrous." Ozpin was taken aback by the implication. "I remember when I was the one of the generals of the White Fang, Secondo tried making an unsuitable candidate fit into a role the candidate was not able to become. Secondo's flames burned the victim's Aura down to the last minuscule amount. Thankfully it didn't kill him. It was then that we realized we needed proper candidates for the roles. To do that, there must be close inspection to one's Aura, Semblance, and character."

"What of the unsuitable candidate? What made him unable to be a certain Guardian?"

"To be _Nuvola_ is to refrain from contact. They shall only help when the Fiamma needs his services." Lupa answered in a roundabout way.

"I take it that he could not bear to stay away?" Lupa nodded at the question. "So in the end, a candidate must fit three criteria, with the final one tied to the behavior expected in the role of a certain Guardian…" The Headmaster was intrigued by the information. "What makes the different 'flames'?"

"The Aura of a Fiamma is distinctively one color. However, inside it are the other flames, which are the other Flames of the Sky: _Pioggia,_ the tranquil Rain; _Tempesta_ , the persistent Storm; _Sole_ , the bright Sun; _Fulmine,_ the indomitable Lightning; _Nuvola_ , the multiplying Cloud; and _Nebbia_ , the elusive Mist. Upon the Fiamma's blessing, he can bestow a person with one of the other flames." Lupa answered as clearly as possible. "This links to the candidacy of the hopefuls. We identify which flame will be best suited for the candidate, and have the Fiamma bestow that flame onto the candidate. This ensures a proper Guardian is made."

Ozpin found the bountiful information helpful. "I believe that is all for tonight, Lupa. That is enough information to digest. I'll see to it that Naruto will find suitable Guardians."

Lupa let out a small, amused laugh. She turned around to leave, but not without a final set of chosen words. "I'm sure you'll find out who needs to be a candidate. This is a school after all. He or she just might be right under our noses." She left the room of the Headmaster without a sound.

Ozpin twirled his chair around so he could watch the lights of Vale. "I'm not unacquainted to games like that, Lupa. And I have to say…being the man to take the damage for the Fiamma is something that fits me well. Being in my domain, Naruto will be easy to protect." The man leaned back on his chair, and locked his eyes to the shattered moon that shone as bright as the stars that surrounded it. "However, that is not my choice. In the end, it is he who must bestow his blessing. Only time will tell whether I am worthy of that role."

A ping from his desk alerted him. Ozpin turned around. A message.

 _Sender: Red Storm_

 _The Den is being split. A Flame_ _'_ _s reemergence is burning the chain of command. The Den sent the Bull to charge the valley and snuff out the Flame._

"…" Ozpin did not know how to react to that. Though it is quite handy for the Secondo's Tempesta to fill him in on the White Fang. Ever since Naruto was here, the Tempesta eyed the White Fang. No doubt Lupa had done this to ensure Naruto's safety. "Taurus…he will be quite the catalyst. Of that I'm sure." The simple observer did not know what will happen in the future, but he did know that in order to keep Naruto safe, he needed to keep this side of Naruto's heritage closed for now. The way the boy was at the moment, he would surrender than fight. No doubt he will lose his life if he dares to surrender.

He stood up from his chair. As Headmaster of Beacon, he could not act in retaliation. He could however send others to do his bidding. He pulled out his Scroll. "Qrow…" He called on the device.

" _Hm? Oz_ _…_ _what makes you call me at this hour?_ "

"A White Fang General, Taurus, is heading to Vale." Ozpin answered without hesitation.

" _And what does that have to do with my current mission?_ "

"I forgot to tell you, didn't I?" Ozpin said lowly. "I have come across a rather valuable individual that the White Fang covet. A missing heir…" He let his words sink in.

" _What?_ " Qrow couldn't believe what he heard. Impossible. That man was like a saint. Not even that man's perverted teacher could corrupt him into procreating!"That _man had a_ child _?_ "

"Indeed. He is under my protection at the moment." Ozpin explained. "I apologize for not telling you, but if Taurus gets a hand on him…the only person that could politically stop the White Fang will be gone from this world." His words were met with silence. He knew Qrow was thinking about possible outcomes from this.

" _The Queen has pawns. Among them, the White Fang. No doubt the heir's existence reached her ears. Her moves will be revised to take the heir into account now in order to keep that set of pawns._ " Qrow predicted." _If it comes to that, then all the reconnaissance would have been for nothing. That and his life will be in more danger if he_ _'_ _s going to become the focus. Fine. I_ _'_ _ll intercept. I_ _'_ _m not gonna say I know of the heir_ _'_ _s existence._ "

"Please get some information out of him while you're at it." Ozpin requested.

" _Don_ _'_ _t have to tell me twice._ " Qrow said before ending the call.

Ozpin made his move. Now it was the Queen's turn.

* * *

On the moonlit rooftop, Blake watched. Thanks to Jaune, she could confirm a few things. Naruto is a Fiamma. Naruto is also a half-faunus. Finally, she would help out Naruto as her family had done for the Fiamma line. It was her sworn duty as the shadow of the Fiamma line.

 _ **And that**_ _ **'**_ _ **s it for this one. I felt iffy about the outcome of Naruto and Jaune**_ _ **'**_ _ **s heart-to-heart. I justify it as Naruto is willing to change, and therefore is accepting that his shortcoming is only an obstacle. This allowed Naruto to allow some of his Aura to return, but not fully because he still has a self-imposed limit on his power. All in all, Naruto got his flames back, but not enough to actually**_ **do** _ **much of anything with it. Hyper Dying Will Mode is still far off I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m afraid. Though I will make Naruto progress little by little.**_

 _ **Still I**_ _ **'**_ _ **d like your opinions on how I handled that scene.**_

 _ **And before**_ **some** _ **people nag. Yes, there will be Guardians. The point of having the word**_ _ **"**_ _ **Famiglia**_ _ **"**_ _ **on the friggin**_ _ **'**_ _ **weapon is obvious ya know. So Whoop-de-do. Don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t worry. No OCs. Just familiar characters.**_

 _ **Review, follow, favorite, I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care.**_

 _ **This is Azure, signing off.**_


	10. A Simple Session

_**Woot! Another chapter to post.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 9: A Simple Session

It had been a month after the resurfacing of Naruto's flames. Naruto had little counseling talks with Jaune. While not a professional type of session, Naruto realized Jaune was pushing the idea for Naruto to get comfortable with his Aura. Naruto also wanted to get over the fear of using his Aura, or at least seeing his Aura in a negative light. It helped…somewhat. Many of their short talks were about how to prevent burning others and what possible things Naruto could do with his Aura. With each suggestion, Naruto gained some confidence. Sometimes their talks deviated to more amusing topics like pranks. They bonded together quite quickly after that. Despite their different lifestyles, many were confident that when Jaune wasn't around his team, he was conversing with the mopping janitor.

"Moppin' moppin' moppin' the floor to death~" Naruto chimed as he cleaned the floor of Professor Port's classroom. He was bored. Wiping up the blood of Grimm was an easy task, but with everyone staring at him while he did it urged Naruto to find something that would put his mind away from the stares. He didn't know it, but slowly, Naruto got a little bit more confident in himself. Goofing off while working was a sign of that. Ruby and Yang wondered what Jaune did to change Naruto's attitude for the better. They had seen what happened a month ago; a beaten and slightly bruised version of the lovable idiot of JNPR. They did not know what actually happened. Apparently, the Bro Code was enforced. Yang did not argue, but still wanted to know. Ruby did as well; however, she could not make Jaune cave in. NPR respected Jaune's wishes, and did not seek out the truth.

Even now in Port's classroom, where she should be listening, Ruby wanted to know. She glared at the Arc. "What did you do?"

Jaune, expecting this to happen again, replied with the pre-recorded message, "Not telling." Ruby pouted. Jaune's ironclad defenses would fall today! She prepared her most devastating technique: The- "Don't even try the Puppy Dog eyes. It won't work. You have no power here." Ruby's fist slammed the desk.

"Miss Rose. Would you like to add anything?"

Ruby, caught red-handed, decided to play along by buttering up her professor. "Um…I don't think I _can_ add anything to your thrilling adventure and struggle against the Grimm, sir. Your tales really helped out in influencing my strategies to aim for the weaknesses of certain Grimm!" The burly teacher stared silently since he was unsure of the girl's words. Every student knew Ruby spouted the most cliché BS a student could say to a teacher. Even if Naruto hardly paid attention to the lesson, he too knew that Ruby bluffed.

"Well I'm glad that I've inspired you, Miss Rose. As a teacher, that is all I aim for." The professor turned around to move on to the next part of his 'lesson'.

' _He bought it?!_ ' Everyone thought disbelievingly.

Yang nudged her little sister, "Teach me your ways, little sis."

"Nope!"

After class, Jaune walked up to the janitor. "You're looking better and better, Naruto." The janitor shrugged. "Oh come on. Admit it, my speeches got to you." Naruto shrugged again. Jaune gave up. "Fine. At least tell Ruby, Blake, and Yang that you're okay now. They were the ones most worried for you." Naruto motioned the Arc to move out of the way so that he could sweep the spot Jaune stood on.

"If they're so worried, then have them look for me. It's not like I'm a ninja." He told the Arc. "I'm sure they can ask one of the other janitors here to find out my location." Jaune could not dispute that logic. "Anyways, don't you have class somewhere else? You're going to get into trouble if you slack off in your work." The Arc conceded, and left Naruto to do his job. Saying farewell to each other wasn't needed. The Arc was sure Naruto would be fine for now.

Jaune, however, might not be. Ruby and Yang's eyes locked onto Jaune the whole way to their next class. They weren't verbally saying it, but Jaune knew better. "He said if you're so worried about him, find him." Satisfied by the answer, the sister duo stopped their persistent and concerned staring.

Ruby and Yang searched for Naruto as soon as classes ended. Blake and Weiss headed to the library to have a head start on their homework. After an hour of searching, the sisters found Naruto sitting on a bench that faced the CCT. Their first step was to establish a healthy and happy atmosphere. The sisters did that by greeting Naruto in their usual, energetic selves.

"Hi, Naruto!"

"Yo, Servant Mopster."

"Hey Ruby, Yang. How are you two?" He greeted.

"We could say the same to you." Yang said back nonchalantly. "You were all moody and angsty a month ago, and now you're all…normal."

"Were you worried?"

"Of course we were!" Ruby said. "Do you know how dead you looked when we saw you in the infirmary? You looked like you didn't want to live with yourself!" Ruby's arms flailed as she made it her point to show her worry as memorably as possible.

Yang said, "She's got a point. Those eyes were _pretty_ dead." She placed her hands on her hips. "I like your sky blue eyes." Naruto gained a little tint of pink on his cheeks. "Much more happy and bright than when we saw you in the infirmary. Those weren't the natural you. I'm glad Jaune helped you out of your rut."

"How did-"

"We saw the result of his 'cheering up'."

"Ah…" Naruto said as he leaned forward, and used his elbows as support for his hands to stay on hi chin. "So he said what happened?"

"Nope." Yang replied easily.

"He said he was under the Bro Code…or something." Ruby tried to recall. "'Confidential' he said. But I don't care! We were worried, and that's the point." That was Ruby's final thoughts. Yang wholeheartedly agreed with Ruby's point of view because she was worried as well.

"I see." Naruto muttered. "Thanks for caring!" He said with a smile. It was surprising to have other people, acquaintances, worried for him. He appreciated it. They asked him what Jaune did to help, and Naruto showed it by covering his hands in fire. They were quite shocked, but they understood. It made sense to them.

Blake told them Naruto had a suppressed trauma. In Signal, during Aura lectures, their professor told them that Aura is the soul in physical form. To reject the soul is to reject oneself. Naruto's Aura carried a burning property with it. According to Blake, Naruto's trauma stemmed from a fire he caused. The loss of life done by his Aura alone would naturally want anyone to suppress it.

Yang was quick to remove herself from morbid thoughts, and went to being her normal self. She told Naruto, "Now that you have Aura, you have no excuse to not fight me in a spar!" Naruto refused. Yang whined. It went back and forth. Soon, Ruby joined in the antics, and begged Naruto to spar with Yang. The blond would not budge.

"Give me a reason to fight you, and then I'll budge." He turned around to walk away. A hand rose up to wave them. "I await your _exciting_ proposal, milady!"

* * *

Naruto was on the rooftop of the building he slept in. He was practicing with his Aura. While it was still weak, Naruto could do _something_ with it: Aura manipulation. Apparently, from the books he read, it was difficult to do even with a weapon to help out. One needed the focus to control his or her own Aura to their liking. Naruto just winged it, and got lucky as usual. On one of his manipulation training sessions over the month, he controlled his Aura, and made the flames in his hands dance like a tornado in his palms. Imagination was a wondrous thing to have. It certainly helped him move his Aura around using his will.

What other possible things could he could do with them? First he had to ignite his hands. Simple enough step. His palms lit aflame. Even without Cielo Fiamma activated, he had enough ability to ignite it. Strange that it didn't burn him, but he hardly cared. However, to do _anything_ meaningful, he had to use his weapons. Since the thing was voice activated, Naruto tried something different. The thought about it; it responded to his will after all. ' _Fiamma iridescente, pulire tutto._ ' Somehow it worked. The flames he ejected coated his forearm down. When done, the magnificent red pair of gauntlets were formed without a disfigurement on its surface. "At least I don't have to say it out loud anymore…" The fire returned to his palms once more like a clingy friend. "Let's see…what to do with this." He wondered what he could turn his fire into. He snapped his fingers. "Projectiles!" He shouted.

Thing is…he unintentionally made a projectile. When he snapped his fingers, a spark ignited and flew into the air. Unaware of his actions, he heard something explode in the air above him. The fiery cloud expanded into a sphere before dissipating into thin air. Naruto gawked at the size of the fireball. It was equal to that of a frickin' small car! Naruto palmed his cheeks in horror of what he had done. Then he realized his hands were still on fire! He shook off the flames and dusted off his face only to find out there were none on his face in the first place. So then he returned to his initial thoughts. In a school of combat-oriented teens and adults, an explosion in the middle of the night is an-

The door that accessed the roof opened violently. "Shikamaru! Are you playing with explosives again?!" Cried out a blonde, young woman. She was…fashionable. Purple tube top and purple pajama pants with little yellow hearts were what this person wore. Not bad looking in the curves and the face too. Her pale blonde hair hung over the right side of her face and tied down into a ponytail. Her green eyes burned with fury over the prospect of this 'Shikamaru' person playing with explosives. Again…

The two blonds stared at each other. Naruto spoke first. "Uh…hi." He said with _dashing_ grace and suave.

"…"

"…"

"…You made that explosion?" She interrogated the young man. Her tone was not very conversational. Naruto stiffly nodded. She took a thinking pose. "Hm…the concentration _did_ seem off. Not the usual bang for sure. The sound quality was far more thunderous."

' _This girl is already familiar with the sound_ _and quality of her friend_ _'_ _s explosives?!_ ' Naruto thought with fear.

"There isn't even any residue left from the explosion…" She said to herself. The young woman looked at Naruto. "Sorry for the outburst. My teammate likes to use explosives as his…method to fight. I thought he was you for a second. My bad." She clasped her hands together and bowed her head in embarrassment.

Still in shock, Naruto mumbled. "S'fine. Did it by accident."

The young woman stood up properly, then asked, "Accident?"

"Yeah. I was thinking of a way to use my Aura as a weapon, and then I snapped my fingers like this-" He did the motions, away from her, and then boom! Giant fireball to Naruto's right. "Gah! I did it again!"

"Shikamaru!" A young man yelled from a window down below. "Quit chucking bombs into the air. Some people are trying to sleep here!" The irritation in his voice spoke volumes about his hatred of the noise. Naruto winced. He felt bad for pinning the blame on this Shikamaru person. Before he could say sorry, the person slammed their window shut. He felt ashamed not apologizing in time.

"How have you not exhausted your Aura yet?" The young woman in pajamas asked with an obvious tone of disbelief. "That explosion had to have used a big chunk of your Aura."

"Eh…this thing likes to am…amplify my Aura I guess."

"By how much?" She asked inscrutably.

"Approximately ten times." A young man's voice intruded into the conversation. It originated from the top of the mansard roof behind and above the access door. He jumped off and landed next to the young woman. "Gotta say that was quite the troublesome explosion. Now people are gonna blame me for the lack of sleep they'll get." The newcomer scratched his head. The frustration got to him that the tie that held the rest of his hair was unwound. Judging by how disheveled the tee-shirt and shorts he wore and the slight bloodshot eyes glared at Naruto, this person was trying to sleep too. On the roof…

"I'm guessing you're Shikamaru then?" Naruto asked. The newcomer nodded. "My mistake!" The blond janitor apologized to the young man. "I seriously have no idea how thing thing works. It's so finicky!"

"That's not how I see it. Not even my teammate, Ino Yamanaka, here would agree with you." Shikamaru said confidently. The newly introduced Ino nodded vigorously.

"W-What?"

"Everything you do with your Aura is amplified, you say? Then it means it isn't being finicky at all. It's doing as you wish. And by the output it shows, it's the best kind of amplifier for you." Shikamaru stated. "If you're not even a tiny bit exhausted after letting out two explosions of that size, it tells us two things: you have a lot of Aura to spare, or that your weapon is effective in bringing out its full potential with the tiniest amount. Actually it also could be both." The two teammates thought about it. The last option seemed to fit at the moment.

Naruto scratched his head. "Come again?"

"With your Aura…Say that your regular amount is a tiny fire from a match." Naruto imagined the scenario. "Then pour Burn Dust and oil on top of that; that's what your weapon is doing to your Aura." Shikamaru explained easily. "Can you see how special your weapon is now?" He asked as the blond janitor examined Cielo Fiamma with a new point of view. It did make sense when Shikamaru put it that way. "With how easy it is, I'm sure you can manipulate your Aura to make constructs."

"Um…what?"

"Physical objects."

"Oh."

"Why don't you try one out now?" Ino asked, fully interested in what this person in front of her could do with minimal information like that.

"…I guess I'll try." Naruto mumbled. He looked down to his hands, and lit them aflame once more. In his head, he imagined a sphere, arguably one of easiest things to mold into shape. His Aura reacted to his mind. The fire on his palms coiled at the space between the hands, and collected there as if a singularity had been created. The two spectators were eager to see if this young man would be successful. Moments later, a firestorm was compacted, but not morphed into a defined shape. As if a miniature sun, arcs of flame sprouted off its surface. Naruto compacted the fireball even more. It followed Naruto's will for a moment, but utterly failed. Both Shikamaru and Ino could see the moment when all hell broke loose, and dove away. The shape morphed into something else; first and telltale sign of failure in manipulation.

* * *

Off in the distance, a distinct sound of boom echoed into the night for everyone to hear.

"DAMMIT SHIKAMARU!" An angered second year male shouted.

"WHY YOU GOTTA BE SO RUDE?!" Another second year, a female, shrieked from across the way.

"WE _NEED_ SLEEP!" The same young man fired back. "PLUS MY EARS ARE HURTING!"

"OH BOO HOO! JUST DEAL WITH IT!"

A window cracked open. The individual who opened it inhaled deeply. The buildup of oxygen kept increasing until it reached maximum capacity. Released, the words that came were, "SHUUUUUUUUUUUUT UUUUUUUUUUUP! I'LL FIND YOU, AND BREAK YOUR LEGS IF YOU KEEP SHOUTING LIKE THIS!"

In Team RWBY's room, the girls stared right at their window, where the general direction of the source of the explosion came from. All of them wore an expression of annoyance. Ruby wanted to know what kind of ammunition caused that explosion. Weiss wanted to block out the noise. Blake was more worried than she would let on. Yang wanted to fight the guy; sounded like the guy's fighting style was a bang. For these reasons, the team could not sleep. Blake knew Naruto experimented with his Aura. Though she had to wonder what kind off training he was doing with his Aura to cause such explosions. Hopefully her lord did not hurt himself.

"Whoever this rapscallion is, I will make him pay for ruining my sleep three times." Weiss grumbled as she attempted to sleep again.

"Oh I don't know if this guy is a _rapscallion_." Yang shared her opinion. Weiss grunted annoyingly at Yang's voice. "He's quite ballsy to do training out in the open and at night when he knew that everyone would be sleeping. I respect people that never stop improving themselves." She said happily. "If I ever get to meet this guy, I'm sure he'll give a little challenge."

"Just don't break his legs, sis." Ruby chimed in with a grin after she said it.

"I won't~" Yang answered cheekily. "But if it does happen…it's all his fault."

"Can we all sleep now?" Blake questioned her team.

"I second that motion." Weiss added.

"Fine…" Both sisters drawled sadly. "Good night!" The said in sync.

* * *

Back on the roof, the dust cleared. Ino and Shikamaru stared at the scorched and charred ring of cement, which had a few patches of fire flickering in and out of existence. In the middle of it all, an unscathed but half-naked Naruto in his boxers.

Shikamaru spoke first, "That could have gone a lot better."

"Yeah…"

Ino stared at the fit and half-naked young man. "You _might_ want to do something about your clothes."

"Thank goodness his boxers are intact…" Shikamaru mumbled. He personally didn't want to see that.

Naruto stared at his lack of clothing, and blushed at the exposure. He did not want this to happen. He was thankful that he wasn't burned, but not so thankful that his uniform was now ash into the wind. He liked that uniform… Could have been in orange, but still! After wearing it for a month or two, he got used to it; it was his partner in crime against the forces of filth! At least he had spares.

The exhausted male of the trio moved on from the current topic to return to Naruto's issue with his Aura. "If you need help with Aura, maybe you can ask Ms. Goodwitch for pointers. She mainly uses her Aura for combat; she could help with this." Shikamaru's suggestion was met with a thoughtful look.

"Don't go looking so serious while in your boxers, idiot!" Ino chastised.

"Sorry. I'll be going now. By the way, my name's Naruto Uzumaki. See ya!" He ran into the building to go back to his room as quickly as possible.

"The Janitor that could beat first year Huntsmen?" Ino thought aloud.

Shikamaru sucked his teeth. "Troublesome." He just sent a walking bomb to learn how to explode even bigger than before.

* * *

The next day, he showed what he could do to Glynda. He formed that sphere of fire, but did not finish it to prevent an explosion. The Huntress was astounded by the severe jump in combat skill. While his martial arts were slightly under par, something as complex as Aura Manipulation had been child's play to him! Did she actually find a hidden genius? She wanted to test his Aura, and how combat worthy it was.

It was now after school hours, and Naruto stood in the middle of Glynda's arena. "Um…what am I supposed to be doing, Ms. Goodwitch?" Naruto asked since he was unsure of this setting. He was left alone in the arena, with the woman watching from the stands.

"Bring out your Aura." She commanded. "I want to see how powerful your Aura can be."

"What?" Naruto stepped back in shock. "That's a bad idea, Ms. Goodwitch! Even if it's still weak, I'm sure that there's going to be a big kaboom." He knew from experience Glynda underestimated the young man's raw power. If it was anything like what happened a month ago, she was sure nothing too bad would happen to Naruto or the arena for that matter.

The woman crossed her arms. She was sure of herself. In no way, shape, or form that whatever happens next would be an outright explosive outcome. "I can handle your flames, Naruto." Glynda assured. "I'm not a teacher for show. If there is a disaster to come forth from this, I can fix it quickly." The word disaster did not excite Naruto. This was his _destructive_ Aura they were talking about. He was a novice at his own power; Jaune said with great clarity during that event a month ago. There's going to be a disaster. He felt it in his very soul.

Nonetheless, he did as ordered. ' _I need to show how powerful my Aura is_ _…_ _what better way to show that than with an attack?_ ' He thought to himself. In his head, he imagined that he could send his Aura as an energy blast. It would be a sufficient example. The explosives he did with a snap of his fingers were too explosive for him. This way, he could control the amount needed. Unknowingly, his Aura pooled into his left gauntlet. Glynda easily noticed the increasingly condensing and compacting of Naruto's Aura. The colorization was off from the first time she had seen Naruto bring out his Aura. The flames suddenly broke out of the surface of the gauntlet. At it core, the flame had a reddish tint to the orange scheme. Then, like a crown, its outer edges melded into a myriad shades of orange with some peaking out as a white, crystal-like shine. The appearance itself looked far more chaotic and held the power than compared to the soft, pale orange his normal Aura had.

Naruto took a stance. He placed his right foot behind him as support. He thrust out his left arm as if pushing a wall. His right grasped his forearm to anticipate a recoil. The hard flames that he emitted seeped back into the gauntlet. A shockwave of Aura reshaped the ground in front of Naruto. Glynda took action. She used her Aura to create a shield at the wall Naruto faced. Compacting Aura to the point that its presence reshapes the area is something not to be trifled with. Naruto tensed. He wasn't sure what would happen. He needed more support than one leg could offer.

The thrusters on the left gauntlet responded with a sudden outburst of his normal flames. ' _That might be able to do the trick_ _…_ ' His hold on his condensed flames broke. He opened the metaphorical gates, and released a large pillar of the condensed flames like a cannon. Scorching heat filled the arena. The output was too much for his support to handle. His right foot slid back much like the rest of his body. His straight left arm bent at the elbow, and the young man did all he could to stop the arm from hitting his face because of the violent push back. The beam aimed upwards —to the ceiling while the recoil pushed the young man off his feet, and sent him tumbling away from the origin of his attack. Glynda winced with each full rotation Naruto completed in his series of tumbles. He recovered by skidding into a halt with the aid of friction of his shoes and the steaming hot left hand that melted its way a few centimeters into the surface pf the floor.

Both blonds watched the aftermath. Neither were surprised, aside from the vicious output Naruto used. In the line of fire was…a visible line of fire that led to the wall, where Glynda's shield burned brightly for both to see. The floor and ceiling, where the flames touched, melted the surface. "Well that answers one question. I'm not ready for that one, and I won't use that one unless I'm pissed off." Naruto muttered. "Other than that… You _really_ amplify my Aura don'tcha, Cielo Fiamma?" He expected no answer, but still…talking to his gauntlets was a thing he was used to by now. It was a way to say that his weapons were his partners. A few, stray patches of fire scattered the floor, but they weren't of any consequence. Glynda stared at the compacted damage to her arena. While small and most likely effortless if it was chunks of debris. Smaller particles were trickier. Melted material…she was unsure. As a teacher, she knew she could fix this. She had the experience and skill.

"Woah!" An excited shout came from west entrance of the arena. "That was so cool!"

"Ruby! How could you reveal our position?!" Weiss berated.

"Let her be." Blake said calmly. "You have to admit it was impressive."

"Looking hot out there, Candlelight!" Yang hollered.

"Team RWBY. Just what are you doing here?" Glynda asked the girls.

"We wanted to train?" Ruby said in an unsure manner. "I mean the arena is open for that reason right? You can't exactly say we aren't allowed to come here." Glynda couldn't refute that. "Besides, is it so bad to just watch someone learning?"

"It is if you want to find out the capabilities of a fighter and use that knowledge to fight them." Blake said to her leader. "Sounds like what a certain person would do." Weiss did not react to the veiled comment against her, but it was partly true to some degree. She wanted to know the abilities of this janitor, and what made him so suspicious in her mind.

"Ms. Goodwitch! May I have a small spar with him?" Yang hollered to the blonde teacher.

Naruto did not allow the woman to talk. Yang was being persistent. "What's the reward if I win?"

Yang crossed her arms. "You sound confident. _Too_ confident."

"Not at all." Naruto said. "I did say yesterday that I want some sort of incentive. You haven't given me any."

Yang could not say a thing. She had thought about it, but none that would actually entice Naruto into a fight. Food was one, but she didn't know his favorite. Favors wouldn't do much when she has school work to do. Sexual favors were unwise, and even then she would only be teasing about the idea.

Glynda cleared her throat. "I may help you with an incentive." She said. Both teenage blonds stared at the older blonde. "Ms. Xiao Long, should you beat Mr. Uzumaki, I shall allow any shameless acts you do on the arena seven times if you win."

"Shameless?" Naruto asked.

Ruby stepped by Naruto's side, and whispered. "She means when Yang uses seduction."

"Eh?"

"You know…when guys are distracted when they stare at her body."

"Oh…" Naruto responded. That was true even out of battle. She was distracting, but he didn't mind. ' _This might be a hard battle then._ ' He thought to himself. Yes even without an incentive, Naruto would fight. He was just teasing Yang. But for the teacher to provide an incentive like that…he wondered what his would be.

"Mr. Uzumaki, if you win, you won't have your paycheck reduced in order to fix my arena. There will be no penalties for the loser."

Naruto was happy there wouldn't be a penalty. Then it registered in his head what his reward was. "Wait you could do that?! Isn't that a penalty if I lose?!" He gawked at the woman's offer. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang thought about it. It was a penalty, or it was the standard that an employee fix their vandalism. If so, then if Naruto loses, he will pay the standard monetary penalty; not because he lost. The expression of horror cemented on Naruto's face. "But how am I gonna-"

Glynda did not humor Naruto with an answer. "Do both parties agree?"

"I do!" Yang said eagerly.

"…"

"Mr. Uzumaki?"

"…"

"You know…isn't it unfair for Naruto to have less Aura?" Ruby pointed out. "I mean that attack had to have used up quite a bit of it."

Blake had to disagree; she knew the point of Cielo Fiamma's existence. They were to bring out the flames to its current intensity. Even if Naruto is in its weakened state, Cielo Fiamma does what it's designed without fail. Naruto could still fight hand-to-hand, but now he has the ability to use his Aura as an ace. She had faith in her lord and his trusty weapon.

"It's all right." Naruto said. "I just need to not get hit." He crossed his arms. "I think that's a simple solution for that. I mean it's not like she's going to hit me multiple times then send me to the stars, right?" Ruby wanted to say something, but stopped. "I agree with the terms." He said as he made his fists connect with the other. "Bring it!"

It was there that the others saw a change. Not his personality, but his appearance. Like eyes blue as the sky, were now burnt orange like a sunset over the horizon.

 _ **And that**_ _ **'**_ _ **s that for this one. You now see what Naruto is**_ **sort** _ **of capable of doing with his Aura. Just to clarify: he is still not in Hyper Dying Will mode. He doesn't even have the crown of flames on his forehead. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this one.**_

 _ **Review, follow, favorite I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care.**_

 _ **This is Azure, signing off.**_


	11. A Simple Spar and Lesson

_**Wow top 25 in favorites for NarutoxRWBY crossover. I didn**_ _ **'**_ _ **t think this would be such a hit. A personal accomplishment for me I guess. Thanks for the support!**_

 _ **All right, the combatants are set. It**_ _ **'**_ _ **s time for a DEATH BATTLE! Lel no. Not happening. Anyways, are you ready for the fists to fly?! I sure am.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 10: A Simple Spar and Lesson

"So…who do you think will win girls?" Ruby asked her teammates.

"Yang for sure." Weiss answered. "Naruto got lucky in that fight with his boss, but this one is something different."

"Different how?" Ruby asked.

"Weiss…just because Yang and Naruto have Aura doesn't mean the latter would take risks." Blake chastised the white-themed teen. "That fight with his boss was pure skill and instinct melded together to display a intermediate to champion-level fighting skill." She took a pause. Weiss gawked at the implication. Naruto, in her opinion, was not on the same level as Pyrrha. Impossible. A no-named street rat like him had no business having talent like that. Blake continued on without having no idea what Weiss thought of the young man. "A battle to the death hardly happens anymore. But it brings out the desperation, the muscle memory, the honed instincts, and the adrenaline; it brings out the dying will of that fighter. If he's survived battles like that up to this point, he his not to be underestimated."

"Blake has a point. Naruto would be conditioned to dodge fatal attacks." Ruby admitted. "You're placing your bet on Naruto, Blake?"

Blake nodded. "He's shown himself to be more collected in battle than Yang is with her headstrong and brute approach. He has a crafty mind as well. Though his style _is_ crude."

"I doubt he can handle Yang's strength and endurance." Weiss remarked.

"Why don't we just wait and see?" Pyrrha asked.

"Wha?! Pyrrha? Jaune, Nora, and Ren? When did you get here?" Ruby frantically asked. The members of Team JNPR laughed lightly at the young leader.

"From the part when you all were debating whether our janitor can beat Yang." Pyrrha answered for her team. "I'd like to personally add my input into all this." The non-participating members of RWB(Y) listened carefully to the words of the champion of Mistral. "True, Yang has the strength and endurance to overpower Naruto. I believe her Semblance, if she has one, would trump Naruto in battle. Naruto would need some powerful strikes to whittle down Yang to the point of defeat. Even then, Yang can take the hits." Weiss gained a smug look on her face. Even the Mistralian Champion agreed with her points.

"See Bl-"

Pyrrha turned to Blake. "However, from your words, Blake, Naruto has shown combat experience in life or death situations with combatants both with or without Aura. That is a feat not even I have accomplished." No one was shocked to hear that. It's standard to unlock one's Aura at the start of combat school to fight. Naruto himself forgone Aura, and fought without one up until Jaune's interference. "It is one thing to take a hit from a sword. It's another to take one without Aura." Weiss clammed up. Blake smirked. Two people shared the same points regarding Naruto's agility and reactivity to oncoming attacks. "He has in his body the experience to dodge the sharp edge of a blade. I would assume he received endurance training as well to take heavy hits since he didn't have Aura to protect him. He would also need the necessary strength to do damage to a person with Aura." She stared at the returning janitor, who changed his clothing. "His attitude is perfect for battle as well."

"Naruto has a chance." Jaune said. "I've seen what he can do when pissed off. I wouldn't count him out."

"Underdog!" Nora cheered.

Ren was undecided. He was still in the middle of thinking. "We've seen what Yang can do. Naruto is unknown for all of us. Blake's words, and Pyrrha's assumptions hold some truth to them." He tried his hardest to sound neutral. "I'll go with Yang. She has the favor in this matchup. If she strikes fast, then her momentum will carry throughout the match. Though it will that pressure game that will make or break her."

Naruto was out of his janitor uniform. He wore his black top and orange, long-sleeved crop jacket. His worn cargo pants were wearable and still intact. The set made him look like he'd been in quite a few scuffles. Naruto stared at Yang from across the damaged field. A screen popped on the wall to Naruto's right. It was a portrait of him and Yang, and a set of bars underneath the pictures. Yang's was full and green. Naruto's was about a third of the way, and in the yellow. He'd seen a few Vytal festivals, and he basically knew the rule all fighters were subjected to.

' _Get in the red, and you_ _'_ _re basically dead._ ' Naruto recalled Lupa's words. In a real battle, red means death. No one would stop from there; they would finish it to the death. She beat it into his head to treat every battle as if it was life or death. Without Aura, it was a basic truth. His body remembered the truth very well. However…with his Aura returned to some extent, the statement bends a little.

With Aura, Naruto could live a little longer. With Aura, he could hit harder. With Aura, he could fight on even ground with everyone else. It honestly made his body twitch. He was unfamiliar with this feeling, but he knew the cause of it was battle. Anticipation? Maybe. This was his power. He needed to see it in action for himself. Fighting Yang would be the perfect way to see its battle potential. Without warning, he took a stance. His left foot stomped the ground, and cracked it a little. He cocked his left fist, while his right was thrust forward as an open palm.

 _"_ _Remember, fight to the death or not, those hits will hurt. Your bones will crack; your lungs will want air; your fists will ache. You must not let anything hit you, because anyone who can actually fight has the ability to kill._ _"_

Yang took a peek-a-boo stance. Her gauntlets covered her face just below the eyes. She knew little of what to expect from Naruto. His grapples would be a tricky thing to face if he takes a defensive approach. No matter, this was a fight she wanted. She could not force Naruto to take a style he didn't want.

Glynda took a glance at both fighters. "Are you both ready?" Neither said a word. They were far too focus to listen to her words. They only waited for the bell that would signal the start of the match. She sighed before she pressed the button. The alarm blared all over the arena.

Two, synchronized gunshots rang. Yang dashed in with a left haymaker ready to smack Naruto into the ground. Naruto refused to move. He stayed in the defensive.

" _Fight as if it_ _'_ _s your last breath._ _"_

Yang's fist closed in. Naruto still did not move. Less than a meter away, the fist got closer and closer to Naruto's face. Then suddenly, Yang's view changed. It went from looking at an unmoving Naruto to facing the ceiling. Her mind instantly replayed what happened. Naruto's outstretched hand snaked around her fist, and grabbed the collar of her jacket. The other hand reached out on the other side. His legs shifted -no _slid_ into position. His right leg swung in between her legs, then he pulled. She had been grappled and flipped with an Uchi Mata in that instant? She couldn't think about it any more because Naruto sent down a heel to her face. Yang blocked it with Ember Celica. The force of the hit made Yang cave into the floor a little. 'This _is his strength?! What monster trained him? This isn_ _'_ _t any ordinary hit from any trained Huntsman!_ '

Naruto didn't stop. He lowered himself on one knee, and aimed his right fist in between the arms. ' _If you can_ _'_ _t break it, go through it._ ' His right thruster activated without warning. Fire erupted like afterburners from a jet. All who saw it finally understood what the addition on the gauntlet was for. Propulsion as a means for extra force. While not necessarily out of the blue, this was the first time anyone had seen this type of function that did not waste a single bullet. This was Aura ejected as kinetic energy. Naruto's fist shot through Yang's guard, and struck her right on the face. Yang's head entered deeper into the floor, which cracked further like a spider's web, while the area around her and Naruto ignited into flame.

The fire cleared, and Naruto was sent stumbling backwards. The young man faced Yang's fist. He parried it away with his right arm. An uppercut was sent his way. He stepped back. A flurry of punches came after, but he weaved around them. His body moved in instinct. Yang's punches whiffed around him. Yang aimed for his gut. He raised his right leg to meet the punch. Ember Celica met knee. Right hook met Yang's left cheek, yet she did not stumble. Yang punched Naruto's gut, and sent him flying. The young man flipped into position, then skidded to a stop. Both fighters stared down each other. Red eyes gleamed. Orange burned. They charged at each other without a moment wasted.

"Oh no…" Ruby groaned.

"What is it?" Weiss asked.

"Naruto activated Yang's Semblance already." The young leader told.

"What _is_ Yang's Semblance?" Jaune questioned. "It doesn't seem like it did anything."

"Her Semblance is to take the damage she gets and double it when she deals it?" Blake guessed. Ruby nodded. Everyone saw this fight in a new light. With Yang's Semblance, Naruto would need to finish the battle quick or risk defeat from one stored punch. "I see."

Ren was confused. "If her Semblance is to get stronger with each hit, why did his Aura level barely move?" He asked his peers. The others looked up. True to his words, Naruto's Aura level barely moved.

Pyrrha noticed this conundrum. "Could he be selectively using his Aura for defense at the right point in time?"

Ren shook his head. "Impossible. He only got a hold of his Aura a month ago, and even then it's not up to its full potential. To do something as suicidal as what you suggested is not even something he could do under that time!"

Yang shot several bullets at a defensive Naruto. The young man stepped out of the line of fire by jumping out of the way like a cat. Each time he jumped, he did flips and twirls like a stuntman. Yet no matter how complex the maneuver, he always landed on at least one foot like a cat. The sight frustrated Yang. She wanted a fight, not a dance! Yet Naruto jumped away each time. Doing this repeatedly consumed her ammo; she was close to running out. She shot one last time. The bullet soared. It's trajectory was in line with Naruto's desired path. Unable to do anything, he blocked what he could.

Everyone winced at the direct hit. Naruto's Aura level went down a little less compared to before. He came out of the tiny explosion with a little bit of smolder and fire dancing on his clothes. Ren could not comprehend it. Aura protected an individual from external harm. Body and clothing are protected by Aura. ' _So why are his clothes singed?_ ' He wondered.

"Nice shot, Yang!" He shouted to the female brawler. He mimicked Yang's blocking stance. "I was determined on not using my Aura to survive your hits, but you made me do it twice to not have my body blown off!" He sprinted to his opponent. The speed he displayed was not something anyone expected.

"What?! He willingly doesn't use his Aura as defense?!" Weiss shouted disbelievingly. "That's suicidal and barbaric more so than Yang's usual method!"

"That's quite strange that his Aura would be like that." Pyrrha remarked.

"What's not to get?" Jaune rhetorically asked. "The guy had a previous trauma with his Aura. I think it's safe to say that even if he has his Aura now, he doesn't want to rely on it. His wants to carry the burden on his body, not his soul." The others were silent, except Nora, who cheered at the gratuitous violence in front of her.

"Wow Jaune…that's the most insightful thing you've said so far." Ruby innocently said. "I guess your little therapy sessions helped."

The Arc felt an arrow pierce his ego. "Give me some credit would you?!" He begged.

Yang shot a bullet directly at the charging mass. Yet despite how precise the shot, a difficult feat when punching, Naruto simply moved his head lower to dodge it. He kept on running. Once he reached an appropriate distance, he jumped. His fists opened, and acted as claws.

Blake noticed it instantly. ' _So you_ were _taught by Lupa. I see why your movement is so wild and reckless._ ' She watched as Naruto's gauntlets burned while he twirled into a human drill. Yang raised her guard, and felt the blaze blistering her skin. From the spectators' view, Yang's Aura whittled down in a constant rate. Naruto kept spinning and spinning. This move was from her family. Dubbed 'Tunneling Fang' Naruto aimed to tunnel through Yang's guard. Yang pushed him above her head. The fire dissipated like a blooming flower.

Up in the air, Naruto wanted to try out those strange moves he did last night. With both hands in front of him, he snapped his fingers. A thin line of Aura snaked its way through the air, and exploded near Yang twice. His hands tried reforming the sphere again, and did its unfinished version in three seconds. Gravity directed him downwards at Yang. Yang braced herself, and blocked it again with both gauntlets. He pushed the Aura attack against Yang's guard. Scorching heat and flames ground against Aura from both sides. Everyone could see the double-edge sword of a technique reduce both fighters' Aura levels. It violently exploded soon after, and sent both both fighters' Aura levels down. Yang lost half her Aura whereas Naruto lost a quarter of what he had left.

Naruto landed behind her, and appeared like a flaming demon. His clothes were on fire, but none seemed to burn him at all. He pulled both arms back. His elbow thrusters roared. His feet inched forward from the force of the propulsion. Releasing the tension like a trigger of a gun, his arms shot forward onto Yang's undefended back. The blow sent Yang flying across the arena. He chased after her. His hands ignited as he jumped in the air. At this point his body worked on autopilot. Cielo Fiamma followed what its wielder wanted, and did the necessary maneuvers to achieve them. The flames where louder than any explosion anyone has ever heard of. It was deafening. It was also shocking when the act of doing so propelled Naruto as fast as a bullet.

The young woman was on guard because she could not maneuver herself out of the air with no ammo left in her Ember Celica. Naruto reached Yang, but did not attack her. He went past her. He landed away from her, but she was headed his way. Yang twisted herself to face her opponent. She pulled a fist back. Naruto did as well. His elbow thruster ignited again to give more force to the upcoming punch. When close, they released their punches, and slugged each other's faces. Naruto lost his footing, and tumbled away due to Yang's empowered punch. Yang flipped backward in the air from Naruto's retaliatory punch.

The winner of the trade? Naruto. Yang's Aura level dropped to the final third of her reserve. Naruto did not receive any Aura damage. Naruto stood up groggily. Yang's fist was like a truck going eighty. He had to close his left eye because that's where Yang's fist landed. Even more disabling is that his vision blurred significantly. A hit like Yang's would kill anybody. But to Naruto's exceptional endurance, he could stand and suffer concussion like he did right now. His ears rang, his legs felt like jelly, and he bled from the nose and mouth.

Yang froze. Her punch wasn't negated by Aura. ' _He took that head on without any Aura?!_ ' She exclaimed in her head. That was reckless even for her. However, she could not deny a fellow fighter's desire. His punch told her that he wanted victory no matter the cost. If he found the loophole necessary to give him an edge, then she would respect it. A battle will always have some form of cheap shot at some point.

Everyone's breaths halted. They could not believe Naruto willingly disengaged his Aura. He would fight without it to that extent? Ruby feared for Naruto's life. Weiss deemed him a fool. Blake wondered why, even now, would he reject the protective properties of his Aura. Jaune held faith that Naruto would not die from this. Pyrrha found it awe-inspiring, yet horrific to stand against a heavy blow that no doubt gave a concussion. Ren and Nora could not process the moment.

Glynda, the overseer of the match, saw the state Naruto was in, and was ready to stop the match. The point of battles like this were to stop any bodily injury from happening to anyone. That's why there was a gauge in the first place! She knew why he did it. Yang's punch would drain his minuscule amount of Aura into the red. By now, he would have noticed Yang's raw power increase. ' _But to take a hit that rivaled a head-on car collision_ _…_ ' She looked at her Scroll, and her open hand moved.

"Don't call the match, Ms. Goodwitch!" Naruto shouted. "I know what I'm getting myself into. It's time to kick it up a notch, right, Yang?" The declaration of going even further made the others question his sanity. He slapped his cheeks to recollect himself from this annoyance. Somehow, his condition improved. He spat the blood that collected in his mouth. Then he prepared for Yang's next assault. Going low, he willed his Aura to propel him forward again, but not immediately. He let the pressure build up.

Yang took the chance to reload. She rotated her forearms to their respective sides, and ejected the used shells of ammo. From her back pouch, she pulled out her reserve ammo. She successfully inserted all the shells into their spot like clockwork. She poised herself defensively because she did not know how Naruto would approach. It was strange and laughable what she did. Even with her empowered state, she was put on the defensive because of Naruto's powerful hits. Clearly he was trained well to fight on instinct. But it was such a jump in skill. In the previous fight she saw, Naruto stumbled on offense. Now…it seems like he could maneuver himself to dodge by a margin's width of the attack. Either he held back, is actually trained to fight better in worse conditions, or he's on autopilot. ' _Could be all three_ _…_ ' She mused.

The pressure was let off. The roar of fire echoed outwards once more. It was sudden. His speed was faster than before. Yang could only hope to defend. Naruto swung his right arm outwards to clothesline the female brawler. The force applied sent her falling backwards. But she did not land. Naruto slid under her with one leg bent and aimed at Yang's undefended back. Both palms on the floor lit aflame. The propulsion added extra force to Naruto's kick. Both went skywards. The young man pulled both legs back, and kicked Yang's back again. Halfway up in the air, Naruto moved himself on top of Yang by the aid of Cielo Fiamma. He spun multiple times before he sent his right heel down.

Yang caught the leg. She smirked evilly. She used Naruto's momentum to spin Naruto around as she and Naruto fell. She threw Naruto to the ground, but he recovered enough to halt the impending impact by using his gauntlets. He moved his hands in front of him in order to move himself back away in time to dodge Yang's groundbreaking punch. Debris flew upwards and outwards. Amidst the explosion of floor, Yang lunged forward with a right haymaker. Naruto, back on solid ground, spun, and redirected the punch with the kick. Yang retaliated with a sweep. He caught himself with one hand then pushed off the ground to go over Yang. He snapped his fingers, and the area exploded again. He landed a few meters away, and inspected the destruction around them.

' _My paycheck is on the line._ ' He thought morbidly. He had to admit his reward was substantially unequal compared to Yang's. But that's not the reason why he fought so hard. He took and and all fights seriously. Winning in this case meant allowing himself to get hit in order for his Aura to not suffer a terrible blow.

"Man…it sounds awesome to have a portable bomb with a snap of the finger." Yang remarked from the smoky patch on the arena. She walked out casually. "Instant clearing of the…" She trailed off when her eyes went crossed-eyed on something small. "You…" Her Aura flared like fire.

Naruto stared at the display of controlled, yet rising rage. ' _Huh_ _…_ _cool._ '

"Run, Naruto, run!" Ruby shouted.

"You BASTARD!" She charged at Naruto.

* * *

Naruto opened his right eye. ' _Infirmary again?_ ' He looked to his right to look at the clock. ' _10:30 P.M. June 27_ _…_ _I_ _'_ _ve only been knocked out for five hours. That_ _'_ _s a new record._ ' He was astonished by the recovery time he got, but failed to recollect a crucial piece of information. He was in the infirmary…He stared at the ceiling, then remembered what he was supposed to remember. ' _Well crap_ _…_ _Guess this means I lost._ ' His thoughts stopped when he heard footsteps come from the door. He immediately recognized the individual. "Ms. Goodwitch. How can I help tonight?"

"Resting is one way to help. Your concussion has been treated with some Dust. Sleep is highly recommended for a full recovery." She explained. "You had me worried, young man. Team RWBY and JNPR were given quite the scare as well. How are you feeling?" Glynda asked with a motherly concern in her voice.

"I can't see or feel anything from my left." Naruto answered honestly.

"Aside from the skull fracture, Ms. Xiao Long's body is most likely the cause." Naruto raised his right eyebrow. The woman pointed to his left. Sure enough, a sleeping Yang slept on his left arm. She looked wonderful to him despite the fact that she drooled on his arm. "She's most likely cutting off the circulation in your arm."

Naruto stealthily pulled his arm from underneath the female brawler, and instantly felt the tingling sensation of blood flowing back into his arm. He took a piece of his blanket to wipe the drool on his left arm. "What happened after she went berserk?"

"You did your best to stop her onslaught." She answered with the bare minimum. "You parried most of her punches with undoubtable skill. In the end, you were overwhelmed by the force of her punches, and was sent flying into the stands."

"What caused her to do that?"

Glynda sighed. "She's…very protective of her hair. A single strand lost is like losing her child."

Naruto looked to Yang. "Hm…makes sense. Her hair is charming. Smooth, silky, very-well kept, and bright as the sun. It's delicate, like any other flower, but a little sturdy against external forces. It would be a shame to ruin it further." He said with a small smile. "If not for her skills in battle, she would be famous as a model. She has the energetic and warm personality and beauty packed as a combo to boot."

"Indeed she does." Glynda agreed. "Do you know why she's still here?"

"She feels sorry for beating me up so badly, and wants to wait for me to wake up?"

"Word for word." The woman replied. Naruto chuckled. The situation seemed cliché. Probably something he read in one of Lily's romance books that he could hardly read. Not like it mattered. He couldn't tell Yang to just wake up and leave the room; that would be rude.

"Let her be. She needs her rest too."

There was a silence that came after. "I don't understand why you hide your battle potential. Why do you also refuse your Aura to be your shield? Care to explain?"

"I guess I just couldn't trust myself with power like that." He confessed. "Deep down, I knew I had the skill; I've been trained till I was black and blue. I just didn't want to use it because I didn't want to rely on it. I wanted my body to experience and remember the pain so that I'm not desensitized when I run out of my Aura." He explained.

"Is that the reason why your Aura won't return to its proper level?"

"The moment I release that kind of power again is the time I'm about to die." Naruto told her resolutely. "I used that power against a friend by accident. The fault is mine." He told the woman. "But I won't cry anymore. I've cried more than enough. I blamed myself for too long. Sage would want me to move on. Heck, she'd probably want me to find a girl to date just to throw me off the slump I had a month ago. And here I am thinking I just might. Certainly helps to think about other things instead of burning." He yawned.

"You should get some rest, Naruto." Glynda told Naruto. "It would do you some good."

"I appreciate the concern, Ms. Goodwitch. By the way, I lost…does that mean my pay gets reduced to pay for the damages?"

"You _actually_ believed me." Glynda said with wonder. The question amused her. "I merely joked about it." She confessed. "Even I have to admit that I wanted to see the extent of your skills against someone of your age group."

"Well…that's great! No reductions! Good night, Ms. Goodwitch."

"Good night." She said back. "But be ready to clean up the mess you two made tomorrow." The woman promptly left the room after parting the conversation.

"It's my job..." Naruto leaned back on the bed to get some shut eye. Like the woman said, sleep would be good. He just hoped it got rid of his black eye come next morning. "G'night, Goldilocks. Sorry about the hair…" He said to the sleeping girl. Soon, his body succumbed to a basic need. His right eyelid became heavy, and he did not resist. He drifted off into sleep.

Unbeknownst to him, the sleeping girl was awake. How could she sleep through a conversation like that? It was nice to hear that he was okay. It brightened her night to know that he didn't hate her for going crazy like that over her hair. She blushed when she heard Naruto compliment her hair so innocently. It was elating to have her hard work on her hair be appreciated so poetically. Her blush deepened when she heard Naruto thought of getting a girlfriend. This was a chance for her! Plans were made in her head instantly. Thankfully she was composed enough to feign sleep.

She opened one eye to watch the bruised young man. He looked as peaceful as he could be. Under her breath, she muttered, "G'night, Firecracker."

* * *

Next day, in Glynda's arena, students who did not see the fight were flabbergasted at the destruction that occurred. Team RWBY and JNPR were stiff as a board. The teacher walked to the center of the room, and looked at her students all around her. She cleared her throat; she would need her commanding voice to come out to silence the persistent murmurs.

"As you can see, there was a fight here." She told her students. "I'll be blunt. I'm disappointed by some of you. You are here to be a defender of Remnant against the creatures of Grimm and against the vilest of criminals." She took a pause. "Those few people show me no improvement whatsoever." Jaune gulped. That statement hit close to his heart. "Those of you who are content with your strength…leave this Academy, for you will not find what you're looking for here." The way she said those words plastered every student to their seats to listen diligently. They came here to learn, not waste lien only to be sent back! "Most of you have probably wondered what the series of explosions were yesterday afternoon. Those sounds originated from this arena. What you see before you is the aftermath of the spar that created those explosions of power. I will not disclose what happened, nor show you any footage of it. I will disclose who fought. Ms. Xiao Long, come down please."

Yang walked to the end of the stands, and jumped to the arena floor. She walked up to the woman, and asked, "What do you need, teach?"

"Face your peers." She told Yang.

"Okay."

Yang looked at the rest of the first years of Beacon. Their faces held confusion on them, but they caught on quick. "Ms. Xiao Long here contributed to around half of the damage to my arena." Glynda declared easily. Whispers spread like wildfire. "It is to be expected that you fight your all against the creatures that devour Humans and Faunus alike, or against criminals who harm the populace. It is to be expected that you fight to the bitter end. Ms. Xiao Long and her opponent did just that. I assure you that who she fought was not a student of any Academy, but he has shown more potential as a Huntsman than some of you have." Murmurs quickly rose in number and volume. They were really trying to figure out who made this much destruction.

"Who is it?!" A student yelled from the stands.

"Just a simple janitor that most of you are familiar with by now…" The room was silent. They knew of the individual she spoke of. It was hard _not_ to recognize who she implied. "If you let a janitor, who apparently has no background in any combat school, do this, then I wonder who has the criteria fit to enter this Academy. I expect improvement from all of you!" She said demandingly. "Fighting skills, strategies, whatever flaw you have, fix or improve on them. I will not accept Huntsmen or Huntresses that only coast on by. That is all."

First years gulped. A _Janitor_ had done half of the damage to the arena. Oh how the rumor mill spun. Beacon's website would only boom once more with the speculations regarding the janitor that could kick ass.

 _ **And the winner is**_ _ **…**_ _ **Yang Xiao Long! That**_ _ **'**_ _ **s it for now, folks. Hope you enjoyed! I also hope this gave some insight deeper into Naruto**_ _ **'**_ _ **s character. And what**_ _ **'**_ _ **s this...a pairing perhaps? Huzzah! Yeah**_ _ **…**_ _ **to be determined, or not**_ _ **…**_

 _ **Review, follow, favorite, I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	12. A Simple Talk

_**And I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m here with another chapter.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 11: A Simple Talk

Ozpin replayed the fight between Yang and Naruto on his desk. Specifically, he watched the moment Yang went berserk over her hair. The young woman predictably charged at Naruto with rapid fire fists. Amidst the chaos of punches, Ozpin saw something rather peculiar. He paused the video, and played the desired section once more, but zoomed in. "Has it manifested?" He asked himself as he watched the scene play out.

"What? It shouldn't be possible at this point." Said a voice from beyond the holographic screen. Ozpin looked up. He met face to face with someone familiar: a woman with striking red hair resembling one of his first year students. Her red hair went down to her waist; two shoulder-length bangs, and a black clip on the left parted the hair away from her left eye. Her deep purple eyes watched the video feed loop over and over to the specific part Ozpin watched. She crossed her arms, showing off a pair of bronze bracers with a line of red to spice up the design. It was her weapons in storage mode. She walked to the left, then back, and repeated the motion several times. "An imperfect version of the Dying Will, or…an evolved version? It's certainly not the Hyper Dying Will. What is it?" She wondered out loud.

"Mrs. Nikos. I didn't know you'd be stopping by today…" Ozpin told to the woman. "Is there a reason for your visit?" He asked politely despite her unannounced arrival. He knew what to expect from the woman; manners were not her strong point. Ironically, her daughter was the opposite of her in personality. Thankfully, the younger Nikos didn't inherit her mother's personality.

"Of course!" She pounded her collarbone. "I was in the area, and I wanted to see my daughter. Is that so bad?" She placed her hands on her hips, and puffed out her chest. Her fiery red, sleeveless kimono that draped over on the back glowed neon red. Ozpin did not comment on the woman's unnecessary rising anger, shown by the Dust activating in her clothes via her Aura. She tapped a pair of black, combat-ready boots on the floor. Hidden away from view, her six kodachi holsters clinked against one another due to the woman's slightly irritated attitude. "Oh and I wanted to see him."

Ozpin straightened himself on his chair. The woman in front of him wanted to see Naruto. "No. Not yet." He said to the woman. "It would be ill-advised to reveal your relation to him right now."

The woman crossed her arms. "How so? It's not I'll be revealing his heritage right off the bat like: "Hi, I'm Kushina Uzumaki Nikos, I'm your dad's _Tempesta_ Guardian, and your dad is the dead leader of the White Fang! Which means you're the next, rightful leader of the White Fang." Yeah…I assume _that_ _'_ _ll_ go over very well with him." The woman's voice dripped with sarcasm, but she felt the need to point out that even she would not do something as stupid as say all of the truth in one go.

"Forgive me for jumping to conclusions, but for the sake of his mental health, I'm withholding it for as long as possible." He explained to the woman. "I'm sure you've heard of his condition from Lupa." The woman nodded. It was partly the reason why she came: to help out the boy gain confidence and full acceptance of his power. A little push will help every now and then. Ozpin felt like a broken record, but he had to say it to those who chose haste over natural progression. "Until he manifests the full potential of his Aura and Semblance, I will refrain from revealing his heritage."

"Relax, Oz. I just want to meet him normally. No need to get so worked up." She said to the Headmaster with a dismissive hand to lighten up the situation.

"I can't fail Minato, Kushina." Ozpin told the woman hollowly. "I- no…We could have prevented Minato's death." He rotated his chair around, then stood up. He walked to his window to stare off into the horizon. "The signs were there; we didn't act on them. Now his son has bathed in blood, and is given an unnecessary burden and role in society, which he is not prepared for!"

Kushina furrowed her eyebrows. "You sounded like James for a second." She pointed out for him. "Don't do that again." She ordered. "His attitude should not infect you too."

"But you're not denying we could have prevented his death." The Headmaster shot back. "You and the other Guardians knew a coup was in the works, but did not act because preventing one from happening would be seen by the majority as spiteful to the Faunus." Ozpin said sternly. "Now our responsibility is to protect his child."

"That's one of the reasons." Kushina admitted. "The other was because many people thought Minato became too involved with us humans instead of his race." Ozpin did not see the logic behind the reasoning. The goal of the White Fang was to help invite peaceful coexistence. Kushina addressed his worries. "It really doesn't make sense, but Minato had tried his best to be neutral —as a mediator between humans and the Faunus. Apparently, the conspirators thought Minato involved himself too much in their eyes." She scratched her head. "Prejudice and politics are such a b-"

"Language."

"Yeah, yeah…" The woman waved off the warning. "Anyways with most of the Guardians being humans, there was suspicion abound." She did not sound particularly defensive about being suspected as a threat. It was natural. A human in an Faunus organization would rouse the greatest of suspicion. Even under the protection of the Fiamma, it did not mean the most conservative of the Faunus hated them any less. "We couldn't act in response to Minato's safety because doing so would point the blame at us, and only escalate the speed of the coup, with the backing of the rest of the organization."

"What of the other reasons?" He asked.

Kushina withheld her breath. It was obvious by now, but she had to confirm it for him. "Naruto himself. His blood is another reason."

"Purist Elders? They realized Naruto's existence?" Ozpin guessed. The woman affirmed the suspicions of the Headmaster. "Figures." He turned around. "Tell me. After five years…why speak to me about the inner workings behind Minato's death now?"

"I figured it was long enough." Kushina answered. "He opted out on telling you the conditions he worked against. He said that you're "Smart enough to understand the circumstances eventually." It seems my boss thought wrong." She said. She walked forward, and stood to his left while she faced the window. "Years as a leader, and you're here bottling up frustration. Have you not thought about what factors that could have aided in his death?"

"I have." Ozpin said. "I just didn't want to think they were true." He grabbed his coffee mug on his desk, and took a sip. He set it down, and watched the looping video play over and over. "Naruto's life will never be simple, is it?"

"Never." Kushina repeated. "Naruto would have been slaughtered on the spot because of his _tainted_ blood. Now, he will die on the spot because they don't want a Fiamma as leader." Kushina explained. Naruto's life was set down on a path paved by his father's sacrifice to keep Naruto as safe as possible before the inevitable came. "Aside from Minato's death, Naruto is an orphan because _she_ did not want him. Minato was forced to hide him away seventeen years ago with Lupa because she rejected her child. If she accepted, then he would have at least be within safe boundaries from the start! Minato wouldn't need to unnecessarily worry over him, and sneak out to visit the orphanage only to get caught in the end."

"The spark of the coup?"

"You know it." Kushina mumbled with frustration laced in her voice.

"I'm sure it's not entirely the mother's fault." Ozpin said.

"It isn't, that much I can agree on." Kushina admitted. "However…abandoning one's own child is something I could forgive."

"Why didn't you adopt him if you are so adamant about his safety?" Ozpin questioned the woman. "You could have easily done it; any of the other Guardians could have done it."

"Are your eyes getting worse, Oz?" Kushina thinly insulted the Headmaster. "Look at Minato's child." She ordered as she pointed a hand at the screen on Ozpin's desk. "Look at him, and tell me you do not see a carbon copy of his father, I dare you!" Ozpin could not deny the claim. It made sense. Adopting Naruto would have catalyzed the coup because inevitably, Naruto would meet the White Fang. They would recognize his face, and undoubtedly question Minato, which would spiral downwards into a series of questions that ended in Minato's death. "If not as a baby, Naruto would be recognized as Minato's son the moment he grows old enough, or fights with Cielo Fiamma."

"Very true…"

Kushina walked away. "Sorry for the heavy topic."

"I'm partly to blame." Ozpin said to the woman. "We'll continue this talk some other time. I believe your daughter is part of a spar any moment now. Why not see her in action against her peers?"

"I'll do just that." Kushina said with a smile.

* * *

It was after school. Yang just finished her last class, Combat class. Yang was a bit exhausted by the new pace Glynda wanted them to move in. She wanted them trained for life or death situations against human opponents. Meaning that all and every attacks must be fatal. All and every maneuver must be of some advantage to the user. All and every plan must have contingencies for contingencies. Jaune was forced to improve on defense. Naruto's punches made him learn to appreciate not to get hit like that. Despite his improvement, Cardin still beat him down well.

Glynda had a few choice words for him. "Mr. Arc it's been weeks now. Please refer to your Scroll in combat. Gauging your Aura will help you decide when to engage or disengage from your opponent." Jaune looked down, disappointed by his performance. "However, I will admit that your defense has improved a little. You made sure to disperse the blows of Mr. Winchester's mace at times, and made effective counters in return. That being said, your form is fragile, so in the end your defense will eventually crumble. Learn from this, and you will get better." Jaune understood. Critical the evaluation may be, Glynda's words were true. He needed to work on offense, form, and pacing as suggested by the teacher.

He stood up with a few kinks in his left arm, but nothing too bad. He went to his team, and sat there in deep thought of how to improve himself. ' _Maybe I can get pointers from Naruto._ ' He thought. ' _He_ _'_ _s better fit for this spot than I am, sure. But I can_ _'_ _t stay as a liability. I need to get better at this._ ' He closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. This would be one of his many failures, but he would learn from them, and move on.

"Ms. Xiao Long. Come down, and choose an opponent." Glynda called. The room instantly went silent. No one dared to face Yang after they saw the destruction she caused. Heck, few only dared to fight her before knowing about her raw power. This just narrowed her choices to the best of the class, who did not fear her brute force. Which practically means Nora, Pyrrha, and…actually all the girls in her team, and some special few. Yang knew who to choose as an opponent: Her potential rival (in winning Naruto's heart), Pyrrha Nikos.

"P-Money! Come on down!" Yang hollered. Pyrrha smiled, and entered the stairs that led to the locker room. Yang did as well to change into her combat outfit. ' _Let_ _'_ _s see if you really are as smooth as others say you are_ _…_ ' She thought challengingly. Pyrrha got a _little_ too interested in Naruto after their first encounter in the cafeteria. Yang at first chalked it up to her pleasant personality. It changed when she overheard her talking to someone about Naruto's life and background by Scroll in the middle of the night.

Both girls exited the locker room, and faced each other. Yang activated Ember Celica while her opponent brandished Milo and Akuo. They took their beginning stances, and readied themselves for a fight.

Just outside the arena, Kushina watched as her daughter waited for the signal. ' _Win, Pyrrha_ _…_ ' She inwardly cheered.

"Begin!"

* * *

"And then I lost!" Yang grumbled to Naruto, still on his bed in the infirmary. Apparently, he couldn't do his job of cleaning up his mess. He needed more rest, and was ordered not to complete any strenuous task. So here he was, staring blankly at Yang because of the grave offense she made to the injured, young man. "I got a few hits in, but she was untouchable!" Her right hand curled into a fist. ' _One of these days, you will lose to my fists, Nikos!_ ' She declared in her head.

"Wow…bummer." He said indifferently. Yang glared. "I mean you fought so hard and got so far, but in the end, it didn't even matter. At least you tried your best." He said with a distinct lack of reassurance in his voice.

"I did…but it doesn't mean I have to like my defeat." Yang growled. She scooted closer to Naruto, and held a bowl of ramen on her lap, and a pair of chopsticks in her right hand. "Anyways, say 'Ah!'" She ordered.

"I can handle myself, Yang. So give me my ramen." Naruto grumbled. He stared at the blonde young woman of Team RWBY, who held the bowl of steaming hot ramen an arm's length away from him. She teased him, and he knew it quite well. He would not cave in. The moment he caved in to his desires for ramen, he would open a weakness for Yang to exploit.

He must not give in! _'_ _Hang on! Survive!_ ' He ordered his body and soul to comply.

"C'mon~ Here's the noodles. You want it to get cold or…?"

' _Blasphemy! Ramen should_ NEVER _be eaten cold!_ 'It frustrated him, but he wanted his ramen! He needed it! "Give me my ramen. I'll feed myself, dammit!"

"No." Yang said, and pulled the bowl a little farther away from him.

"Give me the bowl and chopsticks, Yang." Naruto growled.

"Nope!" Yang insisted, then moved herself back away from Naruto, and closer to the end of his bed. "Let me feed you, and this will all be over with." She told Naruto clearly.

"I told you that you don't need to do anything to get my forgiveness, Yang!" Naruto told the teasing blonde. No matter how many times he told her that it wasn't her fault, she insisted on helping him recover. It was charming at first then it became annoying. "I need my ramen now!" Naruto snarled as he reached for the bowl.

He leaned his torso forward to lessen the gap between the bowl and his fingertips. Yang held one hand on his shoulder to stop his advance. The more Naruto struggled to hold his strength, the more he wanted to use it to get what he wanted. "Just be a good sport, and let me feed you, Naruto, and this will be all over with." She repeated. Naruto didn't like that answer. He pushed forward, and lifted himself off the blanket over his body.

Unfortunately, physically reaching for it this way meant pouncing on Yang.

Yang did not expect Naruto to jump out of his bed, and was unable to react in time. He reached for his ramen, and ended up toppling Yang to the somewhat comfortable infirmary bed. Her hand slipped off of the bowl upon impact with the bed. She watched as Naruto swiftly caught the bowl from the air without a single drop spilled. That being said, he sent both of them in a compromising position.

"Hah! Gotcha!" Naruto cheered. Amidst his scrambling, he unwound the hospital gown he wore. He felt something soft covered in cloth hit his bare chest. He knew it wasn't his gown that his skin touched. This texture was fundamentally different compared to the material on his gown. He dared himself to look down. Despite that, his survival instincts told him to not do so. If he looked, then it would be his end. He set himself upright, and inhaled his bowl of ramen. He did not speak of what he did, nor did he look in the general direction where Yang sat. After spectating years of female displays of fury, he did not want to be the same as those poor saps stuck in the hospital for good.

To be ignorant of what happened is survival for him; that was his conclusion.

"So…how did my boobs feel?" The young man choked on his ramen. ' _Not getting away with that so easily._ ' Yang thought sinisterly. As much as she wanted to tease Naruto with her body, the young man outdid her unconsciously. Her outfit was almost scandalous to give hormonal young men wet dreams and morning inconveniences. Naruto's bare torso just made Yang want to drool a river and rub her face all over the sculpted surface of his athletically-fit body.

Naruto managed to swallow the food in his mouth —albeit with a few coughs to clear the airway. He set his bowl down off to the side on the blanket. "I-I don't know what you're talking about." He feigned ignorance. ' _Don_ _'_ _t look in her direction. Don_ _'_ _t look in her direction. Don_ _'_ _t- ah dammit don_ _'_ _t look at her tits!_ ' His body stiffened with motions reminiscent of a robot. His facial expressions of fear, tension, and admiration (for the female form) were clearly translated in Yang's eyes.

Yang smirked. "Hoh? I'm sure you know what I'm talking about." She inched closer to him. If she couldn't feed him ramen, she would feed his mind with mental images of herself. Either way, a win/win situation in the battle for his gentle heart. She placed a hand on his chest. "C'mon. Tell me the truth. How did they feel?" Naruto became a statue instantly. Her hand smoothly glided over every contour of his muscles. The rise and fall of his chest and muscles as well as the texture of his skin made Yang nearly want to jump him.

However, she knew she couldn't do that to her crush. These little moments helped light his desires, but ultimately, love had to be mutual. Even her flirty self knew that one-sided attraction bore nothing for a relationship. In its basic form, a relationship is connection; she only scratched the surface of his personality, but she wanted to go deeper and learn more.

Naruto looked both ways, but never met eye contact with Yang's. He tried to collect the courage to say his opinion with a straight face, but this girl kicked his ass! Any and all wrong answers would be met with a punch to the face. "Th…elt…nic…" He whispered in a barely audible voice.

Yang inched closer; her face easily in range for an unannounced kiss. "What was that?" She mused. "I couldn't hear it properly. Say it again."

"Are you purposefully teasing me?" Naruto questioned the young woman while facing away from her. His cheeks burned red from her advances.

"Maybe~" Yang said.

"You are, aren't you?" He rhetorically asked. "Just great. You remind me of Makoto."

"Hm?"

"Fist fighter, strong, happy-go-lucky, a teaser, and…" He trailed off.

"Hm?" She let her hand that used to be on his chest wander to his cheek marks. She tickled the marks, and got an amazing reaction. He shivered on the spot just like Zwei when he got scratched in one of his sweet spots. ' _More material!_ ' She caressed his cheek some more, and got a small moan out of him. "Oh? Are you ticklish here?" She asked. Naruto took short breaths. Yang caressed his sensitive cheeks so perfectly that he needed to pace himself to not mewl.

"S-Stop it." He begged weakly.

"Not until you tell me how this Makoto girl is similar to me." Yang said as she pressed herself on Naruto some more.

"C'mon…" Naruto whined. "I'm injured here, and you're just finding more of my weaknesses by the minute!"

"I'm not budging." Yang said as she continued her tickling of Naruto's whisker marks. The young man shivered again. "Tell me who this Makoto girl is." She demanded. She would not be deterred by potential rivals. She would crush the opposition with her own hands! ' _And my body too. I mean I_ have _the right curves in the right spots._ ' She thought smugly.

"No."

"Aw come on…" Yang whined back. She leaned over his shoulder, and whispered, "I'll make it worth your while." in a seductive and flirty voice. She felt him shiver once more. Yang had to admit that Naruto was weak to female advances, or very afraid of perving on women in the wrong time. Or both.

Something in Naruto's head snapped. Yang's teasing reached a limit that had yet to be tested or broken. Naruto's instincts of survival drastically flipped. Thoughts of self-preservation turned into thoughts of claiming the young woman. Instincts claimed dominance over will. He was cornered, so now he would "bite" back. Devious machinations were created the moment the gears of his mind thought on a different wavelength. His body relaxed. Instead of shivering against Yang's gentle touch, he smothered himself in it. He grew to appreciate the touch. He even let a hand roam to catch Yang's hand in a firm grasp. "How about I make it worth _your_ while?" He asked with interest and a pair of bedroom eyes that glanced at Yang.

Yang blushed when she saw the transformation from meek to acceptance. His innocent baby blue eyes held a seductive feature to them. The way he nuzzled into her hand was that of an animal that wanted to be petted. His hushed breaths were calmer than when he rejected her advances. With this change, he faced her properly, and exposed him bare chest to her. On the surface of his skin, he could see the sculpt of his torso. His chest had been slashed at, and scarred. It made her look differently at the young man she flirted with in a different light. It made him look like a tamed beast in her arms. It honestly looked adorable. Party girl she might be, but some cute things (like Ruby and this dynamic version of Naruto) interested her. And when he gave her that longing expression to her, it stopped her mind from working properly.

"Uh…" She intelligently uttered.

Naruto lowered Yang's hand away from his cheek. He leaned forward, and let one of his arms wrap around her waist in a secure hold. Smoothly, he stroked Yang's cheek in return with his other hand.

'Oh beautiful, tiny dragon that burns like gold,

He said a line with an amorous tone. Yang shivered slightly; her crush was serenading her before her eyes. Her mind instantly made theories to what caused this change. ' _Did his mind break? Did I tease him too much?_ ' She thought. Never mind her thoughts, Naruto continued with his poem.

Why do you take interest in this beast?' he called.

He said the next line as he hoisted her up on his lap. She looked down to face him, while the other did the opposite. His eyes focus on Yang's. Neither broke their stares. Yang saw the intensity within the eyes she admired.

'I'm not worthy of your presence; let me be in the shade.

For you shine like the sun, and I must evade.

Addictive, you are…' he told.

'But I must leave tenfold.

To touch you is to burn,

He returned his focus to her by cupping her cheeks, and making his forehead touch hers. Yang could not comprehend the sudden change in personality. It was like having her own Jaune times ten to the power of sappy romance all squared by the numerical value of pi!

Yet this beast yearns.

He took Yang's left hand, and held it gently as if he was afraid of being burned. Yet it was also firm enough that his hand's presence on her's was still there. He nuzzled himself to the right and in the crook of Yang's neck. He silently smelled her lingering aroma of strawberries and oranges, and savored it. He hooked his arm onto Yang's waist again more firmly than before.

Did this beast's heart love till now? Lies of the sight!

For never had this beast saw true beauty till this night.

This beast must run for his hands are tainted.

This beast must run for his sins blight

He pushed his weight on Yang, and toppled both of them on the bed with him on top. His hold on her waist loosened, but his grip on her hand tightened in contrast. He pushed himself up from their extremely close proximity, and looked down at Yang, whose hair splayed out like a kindling flame. His free hand captured the young woman's chin, and directed her to look straight at him.

To crave you is to undo your purity,

And therefore this beast must be alone.

He told her somberly.

For you must stay eternally beautiful and bright like the sun,

And never be tainted; never in sorrow.'

With his poem done, he stopped. He let the silence grow in the environment of blasphemy and surprise. His mind was hazy; Yang forced a mental and spiritual muscle that wasn't meant to be activated. Slowly but surely, Naruto's mind captured his own words and actions moments ago. His cheeks burned bright red. How did he come up with that crappy poem in one go?! His mind thought deeply at the root of the cause. ' _Damn you cheesy romance/fantasy books! Damn you for making Big sis Lily so into you! And damn you Orange Knight for flirting with a girl with the same name as Big sis Lily!_ ' He fumed in his head.

Yang on the other hand…her mind metaphorically blew up by the time the poem was halfway done. She could not comprehend what happened. She had flirts that could get as close to her skill level, but never had she experienced a _classic_ flirt, one who used poems to charm a girl. That was a new experience, and she very much liked it. Surprise, surprise…

The infirmary door blew open. Naruto and Yang immediately stared at the intruders with horror on their faces.

" **BIIIIIIIGGGGG BRRRRROOOOOO NAAAAAAARRRRRRRUUUUU!** " A chorus of screaming children roared upon entry. Their energy rattled the nearby furniture. Suddenly, the sounds stopped. Silence returned like an unwanted companion.

An annoyed voice came to the door. "C'mon, you little rascals. You were all happy before what's with the quiet-"

Silence reigned supreme.

The owner of the voice, which came from a young preteen with silver, spiky hair that rose on the back and bright green eyes, gawked at the sight. A younger boy, similarly looking as the former, but with combed down, blond hair as straight as an arrow, watched his brother's expression instantly change when the latter saw what his brother watched.

"He works fast, wouldn't you agree, Jin?" The silver-haired teen remarked.

The younger boy said, "Brother…you have a lot to learn about big brother Naruto's tendencies under pressure. It ranges from complete insanity, to mental breakdown." He paused. "However, _this_ is something new all together…"

"Big bro Naru!" A young girl shouted. Her squirrel tail straightened like a cat's, and pointed at the sight as if it was the biggest offense ever made in history. "Why are you playing wrestling with the pretty lady that beat you up?" She interrogated the young man that was stuck like a statue.

"M-Makoto…" Naruto spoke in horror.

" _She_ _'_ _s_ Makoto?" Yang asked disbelievingly.

"Yup!" The little Faunus girl chirped. She turned around. "Wanna touch my tail?" She asked as she revealed her brown and fluffy tail to the blonde Huntress-in-training. She felt her tail get yanked by the silver-haired preteen.

"Come here, Makoto." He said.

"Hey! Not the tail, big bro Ragna!"

Another voice decided to pop in. In a sing-song manner, the voice questioned. "What are you all looking at~?"

' _No_ _…_ ' Naruto dreaded. ' _Anyone but her!_ '

Out came Lily's twin, a woman in a stark, red gown. Her face went from happy, to blank, to happy again, and finally mischief. "My, my…Naruto. You were taken down by a fireball of a young woman, but it seems you have extinguished that fire today!" She said with mirth. "Simply…" She paused. Naruto dreaded the woman's next words. "Marvelous! _THIS_ is art! Let flowers of love bloom and spread like and inferno! Release you carnal desires, little brother!"

"Olympia!" Ragna called the extravagant woman's name. "Think of the children!"

"YAAAAANNNGGGG! WHAT'S WITH ALL THE NOISE AND PEOPLE?!" Ruby questioned from outside the room. Silver eyes met a pair of lilac and blue. The loop of silence returned like a boomerang. Soon, she was followed by the rest of her team, the W and B, Team JNPR, the rest of Naruto's orphanage family, and Glynda Goodwitch.

Ruby felt…frustrated. She was first to meet him. She was the first to be friends with him. She was the one who first made him rethink his value as a person and fighter. ' _How did Yang get him almost instantly?_ ' She thought sadly. By no means was she in love with Naruto, but she _did_ crush on him. _Just_ a little. ' _Who could resist his smile?_ ' She asked herself.

Weiss was disgusted. ' _Those two_ _…_ _In the_ infirmary _of all places_ _…_ _At least we stopped them before it got worse._ '

' _Hm_ _…_ _this is like_ Ninja's of Love _Vol. four, chapter seven_ _…_ ' Blake thought to herself. ' _The secluded warrior, Kemono, confesses his love for the heiress of the Dragon clan, Ry_ _ū_ _ko, and pins her down accidentally while doing so. Ry_ _ū_ _ko accepts Kemono_ _'_ _s advances, and they_ _…_ ' She smiled lightly at the imagery presented by the book she adored.

Jaune felt inadequate as a man. Nora whooped and yelled 'Kiss her, you fool!' Pyrrha blushed at the sight of two intimate people in such close proximity. Ren palmed his face.

* * *

Meanwhile in Ozpin's room, he watched the debacle like a movie: with popcorn and coffee as substitute instead of soda. He stared at a secret compartment in his desk. The scene itself felt familiar, but he couldn't place a finger on the specifics. "Hm…reminds me of _Ninja_ _'_ _s of Love_ Vol. four, chapter seven." Swiftly, he opened his secret compartment, and read the part he predicted it would be. "Indeed it is…" He said with slight awe. "Reading confiscated literature that came from my students is quite refreshing to see compared to today's news at times…" He mumbled to himself.

Kushina, who returned to the office, saw this too, and was reminded of Minato's less than reputable trait when drunk. "Great…the son lives to show his father's blood in him." She groaned out loud. She remembered how difficult it was to not smack the White Fang leader who didn't know how to stop flirting while under the influence. Even more frustrating was the fact that she fell victim to it. "Never again…"

* * *

Ragna became the voice of common sense. "…You gonna get off her anytime soon, big bro?" The simple question persuaded both blonds on the bed to look decent. They sat up straight, and away of arm's length. With this many people, even Yang's boisterous and shameless advances were curbed. Naruto permanently held a smudge of pink on his cheeks. Ragna received a blow to the head. "Ow!"

"You're ruining the chances of a love that blooms from the ashes of battle!" Olympia berated.

"Shut up!" The preteen shouted back. "Like I care about your fantasies! I care more about Naruto's wellbeing, not love life!"

Teams RWB(Y) and JNPR were too stunned to say anything. It was too surreal for them to put into words how ridiculous the scene was. Except Blake. She was a special kind of person. Even the teacher, Glynda, was stupefied by the mere sight of budding romance in the _infirmary_ of all places. The children were ushered out of the room, which left only the teens and adults crowded around the door. Finally, to stop this snowballing momentum of silence, Lupa entered the room.

"Granny!"

"…" The old woman did not say anything, nor showed anything on her expression. The sheer blankness of the woman gave nobody a viable interpretation to what she thought of the situation. However, on the inside, she was terrified. ' _This is worse than when Minato was drunk! Why? Why dear lord Oum why must I be burdened with the task of leashing this_ _…_ _gift?_ ' Her mind paused, and thought of this event in a different light. ' _Glynda did say he was looking for a girl earlier. I just didn_ _'_ _t expect it to be_ this _quick_ _…_ ' Her mind resolved to support the young man. "Naruto come here for a second." She beckoned him to a corner of the room, farthest from everybody else.

Blake wondered what they were about to talk about; she perked her ears. She listened in on the hushed words between her lord and the ex-general of the White Fang.

"It's too dangerous to do this alone without any support." Lupa said in a hushed voice. She reached her in her back, left pocket, and used her other hand to grab an empty hand from Naruto. In one, swift motion, the sound of a slap on flesh echoed in the room. "Take this."

"200 lien?!" Naruto whispered with restrained surprise. "What's this about?!"

"You have my blessing." Lupa simply told the young man. "But if she hurts you in any way…"

"Granny, I don't know what came over me! This was a fluke!"

"Just take it, and give the girl a chance."

"But-"

"No girl likes being led on. Take her out on a date."

"But-"

"Do it! Just do it. Make your dreams come true!" She ordered.

"Dreams? What dr-" Lupa glared. "You know what? I'll just shut up." Lupa's aura of anger rose. "Okay, okay! Sheesh, Granny." Naruto closed his fist, and put the lien in the pocket of his pants, which hung on a chair on the far side of the room. "Happy?" He asked aloud. Lupa gave him a thumbs up.

"Okay. I believe he's fine for now. C'mon, let's go!" She pushed the teams and Olympia out of the room as well. Olympia protested Lupa's action while the preteen brothers went along with it.

"Wait!" Glynda demanded. "I cannot allow indecent activities happen in this room!" She said to Lupa. Unfortunately, the old lady did not heed to Glynda's words, and dragged her out of the room as well.

Thus two blonds were left in the room as it originally was five minutes ago.

"Well…" Yang started off. "That was a thing…"

"Yep."

Yang faced her crush. "So what happened?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know…when you snapped?"

Naruto raised a finger to say something, but hesitated. How could he explain that something made him want to charm Yang like that? "I don't know." He answered.

"Seriously?" Yang asked disbelievingly.

"Yep."

"Can you even explain how I was similar to Makoto?"

He replied, "Cute tease."

"Really?"

"I can't exactly call a girl not even in her teens drop-dead gorgeous, now can I?"

"True." Yang admitted. She stayed silent for a moment. "Cute…it's been a long time since someone's called me that."

"You have your moments." Naruto reassured the young Huntress-in-training. "Like when you make those on-the-spot puns I overhear once in a while." Yang perked up at the instant puns went into the conversation. "I thought your puns were funny and cute. Jokes like those are a nice change of pace…" He nodded to himself as if he gave Yang the best advice in the world. "It also shows how quick-witted you are too. I don't have any hope of making a good pun in time." He said with a shrug.

Yang leaned on Naruto's right shoulder. "Aw…don't think of Grimm thoughts now, Naruto. Aura might just smack you for thinking so negatively." She said smoothly. Naruto held in a chuckle, but failed. His toothy grin showed, and it gave off a calm, harmonious feel to him. She smiled. "You look a lot better when you smile."

"So I've been told." Naruto said with a shrug. "And you look beautiful almost always."

"Thanks!"

"No prob."

They stayed there, silent for a few moments. Yang spoke up. "So…are we just going to forget what happened here?" She wanted Naruto to show interest in her. But how could she when Naruto held back by being a gentleman?

"Would it feel like I led you on?" Naruto asked.

"A little…"

"Hm…" Naruto looked to the ceiling for answers. He got none. "Okay. How about one date?"

"Jumping the gun, aren't you." Yang said with a smirk.

"Eh…maybe?" Naruto admitted. "If only to take away the feeling of leading you on, I'll take you out for a date. But it's not like we're going to make love in a hotel right after… We're just going to have a normal date. If you're interested."

"Aren't you considerate." Yang remarked.

"Please. If I felt like I was led on, sleeping gas, a marker, and industrial glue would be considerate." Naruto grumbled. He did not like being toyed with when it came to his feelings. Toying with him meant toying with a locked away part of him. Since he had a job, that part never saw the light of day. He knew it was still there. It just needed the right spark. "That or clothespins, a water gun, and a set of toy building blocks."

"What would you do with either set?" Yang asked curiously.

"A secret." He said.

Yang scrunched her eyebrows together. "Tease…" She mumbled.

"Pot calling the kettle black." He told her.

"Guilty." Yang said without hesitation.

"So are you interested in a date?"

"Of course." Yang replied. She pushed more of her weight on the shoulder she leaned on. "Anything to see the cute side of you when I touch your whiskers." She felt the young man shiver again.

"No. Never again." He told the young woman flatly. "The moment you do that again, I will prank you." He boldly declared. "That is a promise, Yang. And I hardly break promises."

Yang playfully punched Naruto's shoulder. "Ohoh? Think you can back it up?"

"I can, and I will." Naruto glared at Yang. "Until I find _your_ weaknesses, I will prank you instead."

"Challenge accepted."

* * *

' _Ah_ _…_ _what a simple talk_.' Ozpin thought. "So you will meet him tomorrow then, Kushina?" He asked the red-haired woman that returned to his office earlier.

"Yup." Kushina chirped. "Let him have his moment tonight."

* * *

A man in black stared when a caped man entered his line of sight. "Ah…the Dusty Old Qrow. Here for another interrogation?"

"Don't call me old, Taurus." Qrow said to the red-haired bull Faunus. "Again, what brings you to Vale?"

Adam sighed as he leaned back on his chair. He was strapped to it for almost a month now. "You were there to stop me a month ago. I'm sure you already know what I'm after. Your friend Ozpin would likely give you the details after all."

"Oh I really don't know." Qrow lied. "I was on my way to Patch when intel suggested you were coming here. They didn't tell me _why_ you're here." He took a seat, and pulled out a flask of beer. "So…entertain me, Taurus. _Why_ are you here, and _what_ are your people planning?"

 _ **And that**_ _ **'**_ _ **s it for this one. Sorry if I made any form of mood whiplash in this chapter. Hopefully I made some good additions to world building and background for the first part of this chapter. How was the Naruto and Yang chemistry? I felt a bit iffy with it, but hopefully it'll get better. All I have to say is that another version of Naruto 'possessed' this Naruto when writing that part of the chapter. Oh! Qrow and Adam interrogation time. What will happen next?**_

 _ **Hope you enjoyed!**_

 _ **Review, follow, favorite, I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	13. A Simple Past

_**And here**_ _ **'**_ _ **s another chapter to bring out. Hope you enjoy!**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 12: A Simple Past

Qrow waited patiently with his flask of beer in hand. Adam still refused to talk. He had to commend the Faunus's willpower and loyalty to his people. "Still won't spill the beans? Shame." He scratched his head. He was slightly frustrated. Being drunk made the feeling worse. "And here I was, about to let you go back to your HQ in Mistral once you did."

"That's a lie, and you know it." Adam spoke harshly. He shook his chair. "You know why I'm here. You know the Fiamma is here. Why lie about it to my face, _Nuvola_?" He questioned the scythe-wielder. Qrow lowered his beer from his mouth. His easy-going nature drastically flipped when Adam mentioned the title. Subtly, the Huntsman stared at his right hand, and looked at one of his rings, a metal ring with a purple, hexagonal crystal that had the image of clouds engraved on its surface. "I need to speak with him, and preferably soon!"

Qrow narrowed his eyes. "So you could kill him within arms length?" He accused the Bull Faunus. "Not a chance, Taurus." He snarled. He quickly stood up from his chair with a little swing. The alcohol kicked in slowly. "I have been busy in my duties as a Huntsman. Because of that, my role as _Nuvola_ led me to completely fail Minato." He brought out his sword, and sent its sharp edge first on Adam's neck. "When the word of a coup started spreading in the White Fang, I couldn't do anything for him. I was too far away. I could not blanket the sky in time." He said remorsefully. Adam took note of the man's tone, and all its changes. His eyes flared red, deeper than his original ghostly, pale red irises. His grip on his sword tightened. His voice became gruff and stiff. "But I will not do it again. Not to his son, who knows nothing of this life."

"Is that why you still cling to that ring?" Adam asked. "To be an aging Guardian to the final Fiamma?" Qrow nodded. "The Guardians are scattered to the wind. Unable to unite. Unable to act." He told Qrow the reality. "You still cling to that day, when the White Fang was peaceful, and your ring had worth." Qrow showed no sign of anger or irritation in his body language. "You don't have a purpose to that ring and the power it holds. You don't even have _Cielo_ to lead you. It's meaningless to have it at all if your new leader is a greenhorn."

"It's not meaningless." He corrected the Faunus general. Adam looked as confused as possible with his visor still on. "This power is my own now. Sure, it was given. But the moment he gave me _Nuvola_ _'_ _s_ flame, it was tied to my Aura, my Semblance, and to this ring." He withdrew his sword, then turned away from the Faunus. Adam sat ramrod straight. "You don't know about that, didn't you?" He rhetorically asked with a momentary glance at Adam. "Of course you don't. Who ever heard of a Semblance that could be split apart and implanted into several people?"

"Just bordering the line of plausibility, Qrow."

"I guess you could say that. But for the most part, I have a purpose for this ring."

"And that is?"

"For my nieces." The Huntsman answered. "Fiamma Secondo may have been my leader, but this flame burns for my real family. I cover the darkness with clouds while they bask under the glorious, blue sky and the warm sun on their faces."

"I see…he's far from reach." Adam remarked.

"You got that part right." Qrow said after taking a swig of his flask of beer. "Far away from White Fang influence, that much I can attest to." Qrow replied without facing the restrained Faunus. "Now you tell me why you're here. If it's assassination, I'll let you go with broken arms. If it's to genuinely talk, let me hear what you have to say here and now."

Adam stayed silent for a few minutes. He judged whether or not Qrow could be trusted with the information. Logic dictated that Qrow already knew the status of White Fang leadership if he was here to personally apprehend Adam. Adam himself knew there was a whistle-blower in the organization. Most likely, it was that individual who gave the information to Qrow in order to capture him. In the month-long capture/interrogation, Adam had yet to reveal the truth. He wondered why he had been spared that long. He was the enemy. No one would believe his words. Why would a Guardian believe him? The Huntsman was resolved to protect the last Fiamma. Adam had no way of escaping here. Maybe this was the time to give up. He had been treated well relative to usual interrogation methods.

Adam breathed deeply. "The loyal Fiamma faction and I want to leave the White Fang." Adam confessed. Qrow did not visibly react. Only a minute later did he question the motive behind Adam's secrecy.

He looked at the tied up White Fang general. "You waited a whole month to say that you wanted out?"

"I can't be too careful. The things that go bump in the night have good hearing and can see in the dark after all." Adam simply explained. "Plus, you wouldn't exactly believe from the get-go if I did." Adam fired back. "If anything, it would have made you _more_ suspicious against me." Adam analyzed the man's reaction. If he was genuinely surprised, then that means Adam could trust him with the truth. "My position as General already made you wary about me, so why not stay on guard?" He rhetorically asked. "Anyways, my mission... I was tasked to kill him, and clear up the situation. Obviously, I used this chance so that I could meet with him. Look where that got me." He said sarcastically. "You come to stop me when all I wanted to do was to ask him to forgive us."

"Forgive you?" Qrow questioned. The words baffled the aged Huntsman so much he had to turn around and face the Faunus. "As an individual? Or as an organization?"

"Both." Adam answered. "For being part of the group in the coup that ended the life of Fiamma Secondo, I want to ask for his forgiveness." He explained clearly to the Huntsman. "I know it's futile, and an apology will not be enough. I'm satisfied if I can confess my sin to the one person that needs to hear it." He stared at his weapon, just out of reach on a shelf behind Qrow. "I will vow to use my sword whatever way the last Fiamma wants it to be used if he allows me to live."

Qrow crossed his arms. "And the other reason?"

"To say sorry that we've screwed up his family's organization." Adam answered. "We've sent it down the drain with our methods that no small form of karmic justice would be enough to wipe the slate clean." The redhead looked down in shame. "I've seen hope in coexistence again." Adam said. The Huntsman in front of him raised an eyebrow. "I watched an isolated protest rally here in Vale a year ago." Qrow knew what Adam was talking about. "In the face of imminent retaliation, the protesters were protected by children, both Faunus and Human, who knew nothing of the world's problems." Qrow noted the tone of amusement and disbelief Adam used to convey the situation. "Children ranging from teens to toddlers…stood up against both Human retaliators and disapproving Faunus."

"And the presence of children of both races holding hands spoke to you. Is that it?" Qrow asked the obvious. Adam nodded. The Huntsman took a swig of his flask, gulped whatever was in his mouth, then said, "Your belief that Faunus are the superior race was curbed by children, who used their bodies as shields." The man scoffed initially. He laughed at the implication… "I didn't know you had a soft side, Taurus!"

"The next generation sees the errors of this one." Adam summed up. "By leaving, I hope to make the White Fang as it originally was: with the Fiamma to lead us again." Qrow stared blankly. "We searched for quick fixes that will only lead to long term conflict; I see that now. Currently, we are on the path of self-destruction." Qrow agreed. Hate bred more hate. Respect out of hate would only lead to eventual rebellion. "Primo understood that his ideal would not be accomplished in his lifetime. He wanted his ideals passed down to the next generation, to make us learn from the rights and wrongs of the past in order to get closer to unity."

Qrow's mind wandered to a saying Minato told him long ago. They were in Minato's office enjoying a drink or two when Minato told Qrow of the White Fang's creed. In the end, flame drew people, both humans and faunus, together. Only there are few who cling to the darkness, and not see the light.

 _Let flame draw kindred souls,_

 _Who together will nurture, survive, and grow._

 _Let flame be their guide;_

 _Let flame be their lingering_ _guardian;_

 _For when these souls of man and beast cannot_

 _Fight back against darkness,_

 _Flame will illuminate and cleanse_

 _Flame will purify and burn_

 _Flame will harmonize and be eternal._

"The Fiamma faction, few others, and I see how misguided the White Fang have become in these short, five years." Adam stated as neutrally as possible. "They want to leave just as badly as I do."

The Huntsman stayed silent, and analyzed the situation. ' _A defecting party from the White Fang would drastically decrease numbers. The schism caused by methodology and leadership of the current White Fang would also be a factor in collapsing said faction._ ' He thought to himself. ' _Doing so would both lead to an unnecessary effort to find the_ _"_ _good_ _"_ _and_ _"_ _bad_ _"_ _Faunus in the White Fang or the general demographic_ _…_ 'He took a note of the possibility, and kept it in the back of his mind for later discussion with Ozpin. Alone. "It'll be a steep obstacle you'll need to climb." Qrow mentioned the obvious. "And if Vale accepts to give them refuge?" Qrow questioned.

"We shall do all we can to be seen in a different light again. Even if it means enduring years of repressed hate for our organization and race." Adam answered resolutely.

"Are you sure they are that determined?"

"I can vouch for their resolve." Adam told Qrow.

"Are they determined?" Qrow repeated.

"Yes."

Qrow rubbed his head. His Huntsman experience and logic made him ask an important question. "You do realize you want to do mass desertion from a militant White Fang?"

"I do."

"That's going to breed a _lot_ of negativity." The Huntsman warned.

"If there's any hope for a successful desertion, it's all I can do." Adam told the older man. "By heading to the glades east of Mistral, I can hope for less outside casualties from happening."

Qrow gritted his teeth. "The Mistralian glades? You want a battle to happen there?!" Obviously, he was not happy with that. "What you're saying is practically suicide for you and the entirety of the White Fang!" The glades were a battleground before. Legend spoke that a war between Vacuo and Mistral happened there. No one won the battle. It was turned into a plain, wiped clean of any sort of battle. Everyone knew it was a Grimm, and no one even dared to think otherwise.

"It's a risk I'm willing to take." Adam told without hesitation. "White Fang business is White Fang business. No need for innocent Humans and Faunus to get involved."

Qrow punched the bull on the stomach. "Rethink this plan, Taurus." He ordered. Adam looked upon the furious eyes of the Huntsman. "Or you will not only face the eradication of the White Fang as a whole, but the entirety of the continent of Mistral. All of it was because you made history repeat, and stirred an ancient evil upon those hallowed grounds."

* * *

Naruto scratched his head, and messed up his spiky hair. He didn't bother to fix it. He needed to get his room to get a new set of clothes for him to use. During his spar with Yang, his leftovers were basically an even more ragged version of his well-used outfit. That meant that his crop jacket became a short-sleeved version of it with singed seams. His tank top had burn holes on the sides and chest, revealing some muscle underneath. His pants…well one leg in particular was burnt off right at the knee. Yeah…leftovers.

' _Stupid me trying to act all cool._ ' He thought to himself. ' _Now look, my clothes are burnt off, and can't be repaired._ ' He ignored the gawking faces of students he passed. They saw the entirety of Naruto's ragged look. From the healing black eye covered by a headband acting as an eyepatch, to the destroyed clothes, to the way he walked normally. It was a contradiction. No one should be fine walking if they looked like he did. The destroyed part of the stands was still there, and that had to have been some impact worthy of a concussion and more to do that. Yet here was Naruto, who took everything Yang dealt, and walked away in better condition than what others would expect.

"Serves you right for trying to take on Yang." He heard someone say from behind. His ears, sensitive than most humans, picked up the sound. He recognized the voice. Cold, unforgiving, and ever rude.

"Anything you wanna say to my face, Ice Queen?" He drawled while he stopped to scratch his head. He used his right heel to turn 180, and face the heiress. "Because I've got time. I can listen to all your gripes here and now."

Students who overheard the verbal exchange were planted right where they stood. They could feel the tension in the air. Two sets of blue stared down the other. Though one felt more inviting like the sky whereas the other were more chilling like ice. The young man, injured he may be poised himself slightly to be on guard. The other showed no signs of attempting to assault the other. Though partly because she didn't have her weapon on her. Auras flared, but restrained to some extent. Neither wanted the ire of faculty members, yet neither wanted to back out of a potential challenge. The spectators knew Naruto had the advantage since he worked on close combat. Weiss would inevitably lose because she didn't have her weapon on hand.

"Who do you think you are?" Weiss asked. "You think you could just come here as a janitor and suddenly be up to par with students? How arrogant of you to think so."

"Hm?" Naruto raised an eyebrow. "I don't feel arrogant -whatever the hell that means- though if you mean cocky, not even a little bit." The young man said honestly. "I don't have the special Huntsman or Huntress training any of you have undergone. I'm just little ol' Naruto Uzumaki, seventeen, a janitor at Beacon Academy. Orphaned at birth. Knows self-defense for the purpose of protecting my family in the orphanage." Naruto answered swiftly. All who heard were shocked at the instance of self-disclosure from the janitor. Many, if not all, thought that he would ignore the question to keep secrets. The young blond continued. "Faunus as well, if you didn't notice the marks on my cheeks." He said as he pointed to the unique marks on his face. Weiss glared at the veiled insult in her intellectual capacity. He then waved his hands as if trying to stop increasing anger. "But by all means don't get offended by talking to little ol' me. I know I'm probably trash in your eyes, so go ahead, tell this walking pile of trash who _you_ think _you_ are?" His words ended in a bored tone.

Weiss fumed a little. The blond in front of her intended to make her look as the bad one in this confrontation. It's bad enough her family gets flak for her father's deeds, but to pin it on her as well left a horrid taste in her mouth. "I'm Weiss Schnee, seventeen, Huntress-in-training of Beacon Academy. Daughter of Hagel and Eis Schnee. Privately taught in order to be the best." She told with some pauses between sentences.

' _So...you want out of your dad's shadow?_ ' Naruto analyzed in his head. He took notice that she didn't say she was an heiress to her father's company. ' _Maybe there is some hope to curb her rudeness._ ' Naruto asked, "That it?" Weiss nodded. "Well, Schnee, now that you know a piece of my history, would you say that I'm a bastard like your father does?" Weiss flinched, and took a step backwards. "I mean that _is_ why you're targeting me, right? You've thought I was one from the start, right? Whoop de do, I'm a Faunus." He said with mock cheer. "Get. Over. It." He snarled.

"Slander!" Weiss declared. "That is way out of line and out of topic, Uzumaki!"

Naruto didn't believe it one bit. Considering who her father was, who actually stereotyped Faunus on public television for all to see, Naruto had a hard time believing that his words were too much for the Schnee to bear. He even vocalized it. "Eh? What's that about out of line? Your father was the one who labeled all of us Faunus as...um...what did he say?" He mumbled to himself. "Oh that's right. He called us "A race of betrayers, thieves, and lowlifes who would backstab one another for personal gain!"" His anger got the better of him, and his Aura fully manifested as an orange haze around him. "Why? Why does he-" He corrected himself. "Your father still has Faunus employees. He's a sham if I ever saw one!" He angrily told the youngest daughter of the Schnee family.

"Quiet."

"But he is!" Naruto told her. "And it's clear you're his daughter."

"Quiet." Weiss controlled her anger. She didn't want to be recognized as his daughter, but here she is in verbal combat with a Faunus janitor. It stung to know that this was what Faunus felt deep inside regarding her father.

"You're no better than your father."

"Quiet!" She did not want anymore of what Naruto wanted to say about her and her father in the same sentence. She was not him!

"But those are the words of the ignorant." Naruto said out of the blue. Weiss's future thoughts were derailed when Naruto said those words. The tension that came from him decreased drastically. His Aura did not manifest again. "Your father is an idiot for grouping us all as the same. And we are just as guilty for pinning the blame on your family." He said truthfully. "Both are in the wrong, but at the same time partly right. The White Fang have been pushed to do violence because hardly anyone gives them any rights as a living being. Rights we should have gotten a long time ago. Of course they aren't happy in the slightest. At the same time, the White Fang are the cause for humans to distrust us Faunus. Back then it was just simple discrimination by hate. Now the White Fang have turned to terrorism. Both sides lack the communication that is needed for co...coexistence."

Weiss bit her tongue. He was right. Both parties were to blame. The Faunus wanted the independence they deserved. Their ire was reasonable. Her father was ignorant as well, but it's because he dealt with only the White Fang on a regular amount that he grouped Faunus as such. But she didn't want to delve deeper into the topic like Naruto did. She wanted to return to the point of this conversation. "I'm not here to discuss idealism, Uzumaki. I'm here to tell you that your _skills_ are terrible! Suicidal, disgusting, and predictable." Weiss remarked. "They are also amateurish, fake, and lazy! Why do you think you could just come out of nowhere, and think you could defeat Yang is laughable at best."

"My skills are none of your concern. They are mine." Unknowingly, his eyes transformed from blue to orange. His Aura clearly manifested even more now. It danced like a flame. "I've worked for this. My body had been battered and bruised for this. My fists have bled. My jaw had been unhinged several times. I've been to the doctor for ten pages worth of concussions. I've dislocated more bones in my body than any of you have. My body knows pain, and it's this pain that I've learned from got me to where I am. It's not as special as what you've been taught, but it works."

"It's abhorring! And I've gone through pain throughout my training too! You're not the only one who suffered." Weiss told to the blond. However, she wouldn't admit most of it were mental pain. Enduring pain in the soul had just as much merit as enduring physical pain. "I've been taught by experts, excelled at subjects appropriate for my career, and did my utmost best at every single skill needed to uphold that perfection. Constantly pushed to reach perfection... I've did all I can and more, yet you..." Naruto listened intently. "It irritates me to no end that you are as strong as any of us when you haven't gone through the conventional methods of training and proper process of getting into Beacon!"

"Hey! I'm not trying to become a Huntsman." Naruto told Weiss. "I'm here because there was a job opportunity, and I took it. Whatever happened so far during my time here was pure coincidence. Besides, I'm not against getting stronger. It means that I'll have an easier time protecting the orphanage I've lived in all my life." Naruto took a pause. "I don't care if it looks like I'm not trying as hard to reach that level. My skills are my own to worry about. I'm not trying to one up anyone around here. You, Miss Perfectionist, need to understand that." Naruto said calmly.

"I don't believe you." Weiss said. "It is exactly because of that weak motive that it irritates me!"

Naruto turned around. "Not my problem if you're angry over that. Try harder then. Whatever drive you got, make it better too."

Any self-imposed limit on Weiss anger broke. To be silently called weak, lazy, and irrelevant struck her pride more than being compared to her father. To mock her determination meant to mock her entire life of hard work. Her clenched fists tightened as firmly as possible. In her rage, a glyph appeared behind her. The snowflake emblem of the Schnee family was accompanied by four swords in cardinal directions and a dial-like outline that surrounded both the emblem and the swords. She needed a weapon to shut the blond's mouth. Something big that wouldn't allow him to dodge much in this hallway. Something durable that won't break if he does punch it. Her mind delved into what fitted her demands. When she found it, her frustrations were released instantly.

She heard the sound of ice cracking as well as surprised gasps from spectating students.

Weiss's eyes refocused. On her right, a giant blade emerged. It was made of ice, but not entirely out of it. It lacked the distinct surface of ice, but it still felt cold to the touch. At the end of the blade, Naruto stood with his palms crushing the blade with his weapon out in the open and his Aura helping him stop the thing from skewering him. The propulsion from his elbows allowed him to stay put to counteract the force of the sword's forward thrust.

"Hey. You trying to kill me now because you couldn't handle some words?" Naruto asked. "I guess the Ice Queen is more delicate than she lets on." Naruto applied more force to his palms, and shattered the construct like a piece of oversized glass.

Weiss fell to her knees. Summoning of that scale took a lot out of her. Naruto pushed her buttons that it took her emotion and will to summon that sword. The same sword that the giant knight wielded. She fought against it as her final test in mastering Myrtenaster. It bothered her. To use one of her greatest struggles, and summon it against the janitor angered her. It angered her because it meant dealing with him was as much of a pain as that knight was. It also meant that only because of Naruto's ramblings did she finally achieve summoning to some degree. Obviously, she had a lot to work on. Durability being the main focus. She attempted to stand up, but found her fatigue to be greater than what she expected. An open hand was sent her way.

Naruto went down on one knee with his right hand outstretched as a strange gesture of kindness to the heiress. "Need a hand, or are you too prideful that you can't even accept a helping hand?" Weiss scowled at the cheeky remark. Reluctantly, she took his hand, and in one swift motion, was pulled up to a proper standing position.

Weiss felt severely weak. So weak that she couldn't feel her legs. Gravity pulled her down on her, and she could not resist. Her consciousness waned. She barely felt an arm cradle her back, and another hooked behind her knees. She could barely register that she was carried like a princess or bride. Despite her fading consciousness, she faintly heard Naruto's voice.

"So...y for...shing buttons. My...ault." Her eyes closed, and her mind shut off.

* * *

 _"Father? Who's that man in the picture?" A twelve-year-old Weiss asked her father, who was caught lingering over a photo a little longer than normal._

 _"A friend." Eis Schnee replied. "One who had all of my respect." He handed her the frame, and let her inspect it._

 _Weiss stared at the photo of her father and a blond-haired man sharing a drink in an unfamiliar bar. Certainly not her mansion's bar. The two were grinning from ear to ear as if amused by the other's presence. She inspected the stranger closely. Spiked hair, sky-blue eyes, and a smile that could brighten anyone's day. "An old corporate partner?"_

 _"No." Eis requested the picture to be returned. "He's a Faunus who believed in coexistence."_

 _Weiss's eyes widened. Her father was friends with a Faunus? "I-I thought Faunus were evil?!"_

 _Eis shook his head. "Not this one. He was a brother in all but blood._ _He tried his hardest to make our races find peace. What did he get in return? Death. From his own kind no less. It sickened me. Now I know the truth: Faunus, not born with a pure sense of justice, are lowlifes who will do anything, even kill their own, to get what they want."_

* * *

Weiss's eyes fluttered. ' _Why did I dream of_ _that?_ ' She asked herself. Her head replayed the image of the Faunus her father considered a friend. He looked familiar to someone else. Her body twitched a little. The man in the picture reminded her of Naruto. Her body moved side to side. There, she felt the comfortable and familiar feeling of her bed smothered her back. ' _How did I?_ ' She wondered. ' _Naruto..._ ' She sat straight on her bed. ' _That no-good, troublesome janitor! I will freeze him to death the next time I see_ _him!_ ' She declared that in her head with a shaking fist.

"So...Ice Queen." Weiss directed herself at the voice of Yang Xiao Long. "Care to tell us why Firecracker carried you like a bride all the way back to our dorm room?" She asked with curiosity. The blonde was by no means jealous. She and the others knew why she was unconscious.

She bolted out of her bed. "He what?!"

Ruby jumped down from her bed above. "He held you in a bridal carry when he knocked on our door." The young team leader said. She pulled out her Scroll, and gushed when she looked at whatever was on the screen. "You looked so adorable when you clung to him like a Koala." Ruby turned the screen over to show the sight of Weiss's unconscious self. The heiress's arms hooked around Naruto's neck.

Weiss sputtered. "T-That fiend!"

The others looked curiously at the young heiress. Yang spoke up. "What do you mean by that? He didn't do anything. He said you got angry that you exhausted your Aura doing something with your Semblance." Weiss was ready to add on to the description since Naruto left out that it was his words that provoked her. Yang beat her to the punch. "He even told us that it was his fault that he pushed you to do that, and he's sorry for it. He said it was some pretty personal or at least some controversial stuff that got you all riled up."

The white-themed girl sat on her bed unable to refute Yang's words because they were truth. Absolute truth. ' _At least he had the decency to apologize..._ ' She huffed. While she still didn't like him, she at least could admit he was skilled. She just didn't want to admit it in the first place. Her pride as a Schnee made her complacent. She did not see Naruto's efforts when he gained his increased combat potential, so she tried to make him downplay his skill. Of course, the joke's on her since she collapsed after launching one attack. Embarrassing and unlike the expectations of a Schnee.

Ruby chimed in. "Before he left, he also said that 'snow should be gorgeous and inviting, not chaotic and unbearably cold.'" The young leader crossed her arms, unable to understand what Naruto meant by that comment. "Do you know what that means, Weiss? I sure don't." The young leader was unreliable in translating the ways of words. Weiss was. And from what Yang told her team about what happened in the infirmary earlier, Weiss knew that Naruto had the capability to be...poetic with the words he spoke.

Yang curiously watched Weiss. The girl in white raised up a flag, and Yang did not like that one bit. Poetic Naruto was hers and hers alone. No one, not even the pompous try-hard that was Weiss Schnee would stop her from getting close to Naruto. Blake watched Weiss for a different purpose. No doubt a Schnee and an heir to the White Fang even breathing the same air in the same room would lead to great conflict that would spur both sides to riot with blood as the reward for victory. She may not like Weiss, but if her lord has an interest in her, she would abide by his will. And so both black and yellow waited for a reaction. The two knew what her name meant. It would be smart to say that Naruto knew the meaning to the white-themed girl as well since he made a comment about snow.

Weiss frowned at the words at first. ' _Unbearably cold, you say? People give me reason to be like that._ ' She told herself. ' _People who fault the sins of the father, and pin it on the child. People who are after my family's fortune. People who have no genuine desire to befriend the girl named Weiss._ ' She listed off all the things that made her character up to this point. Each time, her frustration grew and grew. Yet a stray thought derailed the train of negative thoughts. ' _But I can tell...that you're the opposite._ ' The heiress's expression softened. On her face, a small smile formed. ' _You're willing to expose parts of me that I have yet to discover. Willing to find fault in me, and not my family. And also willing to tolerate my behavior. I can't imagine how much patience you have._ ' She told herself while she faced the window. "'Inviting,' huh? I'll keep that in mind, Naruto."

* * *

Glynda was just outside Team RWBY's room when the Schnee woke from her unconscious state. She personally wanted to berate the girl for attack someone without warning. She wanted nothing more than to barge in the room, and verbally punish the Schnee. However, when her team explained the situation, Glynda could hear the change in Weiss's voice. Instead of clear hostility, she was more open-minded and slightly embarrassed and remorseful of her actions despite not outright apologizing. To be honest, it reminded her of herself when she was a part of Mistral's Haven Academy. Weiss's attitude was similar to hers: prideful, skilled, and defensive.

Still, she needed a word with the girl for attacking faculty members. She knocked on the door three times with enough force to be heard above the voices of Team RWBY should they begin their random outbursts. "Miss Schnee." Glynda called. "A word please." The teacher immediately heard silence from the girls that occupied the room. She could already imagine the looks of pity the others gave to the Schnee. It was a natural reaction since the woman's lectures were unusual because it was both harsh and motherly at the same time. Some even vocalized it that her stern talks made her sound like a mother. But she knew... She knew she wasn't worthy to be a mother. All she could do was worry for her students, who are her wayward children that will leave her sight year by year.

Weiss opened the door slowly, and peeked out the gap. "Miss Goodwitch. How may I be of assistance this evening?"

"I'd like to discuss about your actions earlier." Glynda said. Weiss did not move. "In private." Glynda elaborated. Weiss still refused to budge. The woman crossed her arms, and lightly tapped her foot to show her impatience. "As soon as you leave your team's room."

Weiss fully opened the door. "If I must..." She said reluctantly.

Glynda turned around. "Come, let us gather at my arena. No one will bother us there."

* * *

Naruto stared at a mirror in the boy's locker room connected to Glynda's arena. He wanted to see how his left eye looked, so he took off his headband/eyepatch, and saw the black eye Yang made had disappeared. He was surprised the swelling and discoloration went away. However, pain still seared over the area, so he chose not to open the eye. Lazily, he glanced at the exotic ring. with his only remaining, functional eye. The ring was with him when he was dropped off in the orphanage. It was his eternal companion. He played with his Aura. Flames of pale orange condensed into deep shades of yellow and orange. He distinguished the two as the 'Soft' and 'Hard' flames. 'Soft' would be what his Aura showed, a calming fire that one would see from a fireplace. 'Hard' was the compact and chaotic version of his Aura, one capable of destruction for it gave off actual heat.

His mind wandered back to that time when his Aura first manifested. His Aura caused the fire, but it was his desperation that morphed his Aura to immediately become the destructive force that he feared. He deemed that his full potential be locked off until another desperate time pushed him to need it again. He was already careless regarding what he could and could not do with his Aura. Even more, Cielo Fiamma had been exposed to select few who may or may not spread it's existence around. Lupa, and later on, Mister Fiamma, already warned him of the ring's history.

Cielo Fiamma came from a powerful man from a powerful and infamous family. A family that would want nothing more than to take Cielo Fiamma away, and kill the one in possession of it as well as eliminate the friends and family of the one who had the ring. The thought of the possibility of someone eliminating his orphanage family made Naruto cling to the ring he held on. He would master the ring and his Aura while honing his own. The thoughts wandered and reflected on to Belladonna's words regarding his drive to get stronger. He said he feared himself. However, as more time passes, he learned something new. Something he could be proud of. His opinion regarding his Aura pointed to more of its positives rather than the negatives. And while it had the power to burn anyone or anything to cinders, it had the power to protect his family. He would accept what was in front of him if only to protect the only thing he had in life.

"I'm only a janitor. I shouldn't be someone to be taken seriously." He said to himself. "But who could ever suspect a janitor that could kick ass?"

"Not quite how I would put it, but the element of surprise _is_ in your favor, young man." Naruto hastily turned around. "Though, the whole of Beacon knows that you are a capable fighter. Others see you as a civilian in need of guidance."

"Headmaster!"

"Evening." The silver-haired man took a seat on one of the benches.

"Why are you here?"

"Nature's call." Ozpin answered. "The locker room's restroom was the nearest one when I felt the urge."

"If you stop drinking so much coffee, you'd have an easier time with your bladder."

The Headmaster snickered. How he heard that exact sentence whenever the topic of natural functions came into play. "Ah...but you don't know the pleasures of Mistralian coffee. Simply majestic flavor that energizes the body while it enraptures the tongue with a harmonious blend of flavors. Such taste begets productivity and vitality for the day."

"...So I'm guessing it's that good."

"It is." Ozpin replied. "But onto other things. I've heard about your recent exploits. Congratulations on unlocking your Aura, young man."

Naruto looked down. "Yeah...it's not fully unlocked. But still, I have one of your students to thank for bringing out my Aura. Jaune Arc is his name."

"I see you're making friends, and learning what you can in my school." Ozpin remarked. "But I must ask you this... I'm sure Miss Belladonna has asked you before, but what do you aim to do with this power and knowledge at your disposal?" Naruto narrowed his eyes. Ozpin was suspecting him becoming a rogue. The young man clearly did not like that; he wanted to protest against the hidden claim. "Certainly, the strength you possess is your own. Miss Goodwitch personally told me that your power is strictly your own, and it is remarkable. Growth like that is rare these days; moreover, I'm sure your head is filled with thoughts of joy because of it. It's natural; however, you're not one of my students. I cannot educate you in a professional way and setting. I can only lend a few words that hopefully lead you in the right direction."

"I know what I'll do with this power, sir." Naruto answered with confidence. "I'm going to keep my family safe. Safe from me and the threats around us."

"You think of yourself as a threat? Nonsense." The young man gawked at the dismissal of his words. "All I see is a young man that strives to learn how to control his powers to prevent a tragedy from happening again." Ozpin said. "You may see it as something else -negative, I presume. But I..." He paused, and rubbed his chin. "Hm...It seems I'm at a loss for words."

Naruto took a seat next to the Headmaster. "So you know... Am I fired now?"

"No such thing. It was an accident that led to a tragedy. I cannot blame you, nor will I even attempt to blame you for the circumstances that led to the violent awakening of your Aura."

"I know my Aura has its ups and downs. It's a balance that I have no idea how to fully control." Naruto confessed.

"And yet here you are, trying to make it work." Ozpin told to the young man. He saw Naruto stare at him, but he chose not to face him. "You've clearly thought about your Aura. You're honing your skills in both the physical and spiritual aspects of yourself in your free time. You've even gone as far to understand your Aura's properties, and embracing its benefits and flaws." The man looked to the floor. "You've basically done what three of the sisters did in-"

"The story of the seasons?" Naruto interrupted. "The one with the four sisters? The little girls in the orphanage love that story."

Ozpin took a moment to say, "Yes." He proceeded to explain and connect how Naruto's actions matched the first three sisters' actions. "What you've done so far follows the pattern of the seasons." He told the young man. "To ponder about your Aura...you matched Winter's advice to 'reflect and meditate.' Upon finishing that part, you decided to improve yourself. You followed Spring's actions by 'revitalizing' yourself, and choosing to improve on your skills. And now that you have experienced what your Aura can do, you adhere to Summer's spirit of 'embracing' what your Aura can do, and the possibilities it gives."

"What about Fall?" Naruto asked.

"You haven't 'thanked'- no 'appreciated' is more apt for the situation." The Headmaster replied with a vague start. "You may embrace what your Aura can do, but you do not fully appreciate what it's capable of." The man stood up. "And all because you see yourself as a threat to the family you hold dear." Naruto could not say a thing. He was too deep in thought. The Headmaster chose to walk away with the final words, "I'm sure you've set a condition for when you truly need the full power of your Aura. But when you do, do not lose the drive that led you to your power. It will be the thing that gives you focus, and what will make you appreciate what you have. Have a nice evening, Naruto. I must be off." As he walked away, his mind thought of other significant things. ' _Qrow has yet to give me something substantial to both Amber's assailant and Taurus. What is going on?_ '

Naruto, still seated on the bench, watched his ring. ' _Reflect, revitalize, embrace...but not fully appreciate it._ ' He repeated. "How true." He said to himself. "I may not be at my strongest, but I at least appreciate what I have." His Aura coated his arms. "Like I said, until the time comes that what I've got isn't enough, I will continue to appreciate what I have. On my dying will, I will fight with whatever I've got. If that's not enough, I'll go beyond that, and search for the rest of it." He made his fists collide with another. "Believe it!"

 _ **And that's it for now. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. That latest episode gave so much plot it made me spaz out to finish this chapter.**_

 _ **Anyways, what do you think? I know Adam waiting a month to tell the truth stretches some people's SOD, but all I have to say to that is "Can't get too careful." The White Fang is splitting, but how could the deserters successfully flee without a fight? What Grimm is Qrow talking about?**_

 _ **How about Weiss? I'm sure I did something wrong with her character. I've been going back, searching for things that go against her character, and running damage control for possible aspects that ruin her character. Tell me what you think.**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don't care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	14. Interlude: A Simple Possibility

_**And it seems like I did right by Weiss**_ _ **'**_ _ **s character. That**_ _ **'**_ _ **s good.**_ _ **Anyways, I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m jumping the gun here, but who cares?! C**_ _ **'**_ _ **mon! It**_ _ **'**_ _ **s a possible**_ **snippet** _ **into the**_ **future!**

Disclaimer: first chapter. The song used here is not mine.

Interlude: A Simple Possibility of the Future

A rhythmic set of clacking echoed into the hallway. A little girl peeked through the door of her dad's office. Her bright, little blue eyes watched in earnest as her father diligently worked through the night on the computer. Its luminescent glow bounced off her dad's face, colored in a pale blue from the artificial light. His already bright, blue eyes shone a little brighter because of the screen. Fatigue and preoccupation was on his face. Moments later, she watched her dad leaned back on his chair, and comb his hair back with his hands. His deep sigh told her how tired he was. She understood little of what his job actually was, but she knew it made him famous on tv. She also knew her dad was famous for making humans and Faunus be friends. She liked everyone. It pained her to see others fight. So she idolized her dad for making the world a better place for everyone.

She watched him shiver a little right before he sneezed. She took action by dashing off into her dad's room to grab a blanket. Her tiny legs and arms yanked the piece of cloth with all her tiny body could muster. She managed to do the deed, but fell on her butt from the amount of force she exerted. She shook it off before dragging the blanket to her dad's office.

She pushed the ajar door further, and sent her head into the room. "Daddy?" She called.

The exhausted dad snapped his eyes open. It was the voice of his eldest daughter. ' _Why is she still awake?_ ' He glanced at the door, and saw her tiny head. "Honō…why are you up? Did you see a spider in your room? Want me to burn it?" He asked with grave seriousness.

Honō was amused by her dad's complete change in tone. Parental concern turned to malicious vengeance within five seconds. ' _Mom's like that too…_ ' She thought to herself. She visibly shook the thought away in order to answer her dad's question. "No." She said.

"Then why are you here?" He asked. "You should be in bed, little lady."

"Back at you, dad." The little girl responded. "You're working too much again. And…and you look like you'll catch a cold." Her dad turned away, obviously caught red-handed. "So to help you, I wanted to give you a blanket." She entered the room, and brought with her the blanket in her dad's bedroom. With her tiny arms covered by cloth, she handed her dad the warm object. Without warning, she was suddenly scooped up into her dad's arms.

"Oh you are just so precious!" He squealed. "My baby girl is so thoughtful and cute and-"

"Dad!" Honō fumed. "I'm not-"

He set his daughter on his desk. "My little ball of happiness…" He interrupted. "Did you want daddy to stop working for tonight?" She nodded. He rubbed the little girl's hair into a frizzy mess that she and her mother would absolutely hate. She had it combed for a reason, and it was not for her dad to ruin. She scowled. "Just a little more, and I'll be finished, Honō." He reassured his daughter while he repaired his daughter's hair.

"No. You'll sleep, or tell me a story instead." She ordered. "No buts, ifs, or whatevs!"

"A young lady like you should not be saying informal language." Honō looked down. Obviously, she was a little sorry for the slip. "But you're still a kid, so I don't mind. A kid should be a kid, right?" Honō nodded normally, which showed her restraint, but also the reluctance to be too vigorous at this hour. He fixed his little girl's hair, and tied it into a french braid. Satisfied by his work, the dad wanted to listen to his daughter's request. "So! Sleep or a story?" He parroted. The little girl chose to nod vigorously at this. The dad sighed. He shifted his daughter's bottom to let her sit on his lap. He then pulled the blanket, and wrapped it around Honō and himself. "What would you like to hear?"

"How did you and mom get married?" She asked.

"You miss her?"

Honō nodded as she snuggled closer to her dad's chest. The blanket and his Aura radiated warmth. "Does she hate us?" She asked. "I don't see her anymore. I want to hug her. I want to show her the cool things I learned. I want to spend time with her…" Each time, her voice got a little meeker. She clutched onto the blanket a little tighter.

"Me too." He admitted. "But you know what?" Honō looked up to look at her dad's face. He bopped the little girl's nose with an index finger. "Shame on you for doubting your mom. She loves us. You know how she is. Protective. Hardworking. Your aunties are in the same boat. All of them want to make the world a better place for their children. They fight the Grimm so that we won't have to worry about them." He took a pause, and made his daughter look at him eye to eye. "Your mom loves us very much. I understand why you would think that she hates us because she isn't here, but don't think like that. She's working hard. All of them are. I'm sure they miss us as much we miss them. You understand?" The little girl released her grip on the blanket to embrace her dad instead.

"Really?" She asked weakly.

"You want me to tell you how I married your mom?" He asked rhetorically. "I'll tell you." He closed his eyes, and relived the scene. He watched his wife's retreating back.

* * *

"You're going on a mission again?"

She stopped, and turned around slowly. She showed that she didn't want to talk about it. Still, she stayed. She had to tell the truth to him. "Yeah…" She admitted with a bit of disappointment. "I'm sorry." Her downcast face was unlike of her to use. He hated that look on her. He stepped forward to stop that face from staying too long.

He lifted her chin to make her look at him. His face showed neither disappointment nor hate. "Don't be." He told her softly. "You've got people to protect, no? Do your job. I can't stop you, and the others would just nag at me to get your butt in gear." He lightly chuckled. He got her to smile a little. He returned to reassuring her. "I'll be fine." He said while he embraced her. "I love you. Stay safe as always."

She reciprocated the hug even if only for a moment. "Do you really mean that?" She asked lowly.

"Again?" He asked incredulously. "How many times do I tell you that I mean it? Do I need to make a statue that reminds you that I love you?" He paused, and reevaluated his suggestion. "Then again...with the money you and the others make, you could make your own statue gardens." She shook her head on his shirt, wrinkling it to some extent. He could tell she didn't mean to sound too doubtful by it. In a way, he also had an answer to her problem. One tiny little thing that would permanently symbolize his love for her. But to set it up, he needed to tap into his head for instant inspiration. He sighed deeply, and prepared himself when he got an idea that popped into his head. It helped that he had experience making lyrics for Weiss.

He cleared his throat. He hummed a small tune. She stiffened; he would sing again. His vocal chords vibrated as words left his mouth. He swayed his and her body to the rhythm of his upcoming song.

 _You would always ask me_

 _Those words I say~_

 _And tellin' me what it means to me…_

 _Every single day,_

 _You always act this way…_

 _For how many times I told you_

 _I love you for this is all I know~_

His soft voice made her blush. He made a song out of the situation, and it visibly baffled her. Not quick witted for puns, but somehow he's quick-witted for a song about what's happening at the moment.

 _Come to me and hold me,_

 _And you will see_

 _The love I give_

 _For you still hold the key._

His arms held her tighter, which showed his sincerity. With song and actions, he would make her believe his words. His love was no mere passing emotion!

 _Every single day,_

 _You always act this way…_

 _For how many times I told you_

 _I love you for this is all I know~_

He released his embrace, and sent himself on one knee. She looked puzzled as if wondering what he would do next. He set his lips on the back of her left hand like a knight to his princess. Cheesy, both of them knew, but it was effective. She herself blushed crimson, and tried to hide it as best as she could. His other hand reached into his jacket's pocket. While he did so, he continued the song.

 _I'll never go far away from you~_

His ring, Cielo Fiamma, lit up, and orange flame danced on the crystal. The sight mesmerized her, and completely distracted her from looking anywhere else.

 _Even the sky will tell you_

 _That I need you so…_

His other hand successfully grabbed what he wanted, and present it to her by flipping her left hand palm up. A tiny black cube rested on her palm.

 _For this is all I know_

 _I'll never go far away from you~_

He opened the box. "Do you understand now?" He asked. All he got for an answer was a deep and loving kiss on the lips that lasted longer than it should have.

* * *

"That was a nice story and song, dad." Honō said honestly. She yawned. "I can see why…mom said yes…" Her voice trailed off, exhaustion willed her body to sleep as fast as she could manage.

He yawned too. Talking about the past made him lose the drive to finish his speech for the Remnant United Council. He would finish it tomorrow. While sleep may be for the weak, lack of it made people weak. Too occupied with his daughter, he fixed her position so that she could use his body as a bed. "Goodnight, Honō." He said to his sleepy daughter. "Mom will be back soon. So bear with it. Daddy is here. And like I told your mom, I'll never go far away from you too." He held her firmly in his arms. He leaned back on his chair, and succumbed to sleep soon after.

Honō snuggled closer. "G'night…Dad. I…love you…" She looked to her dad's left hand, where four rings, one on each finger, shone under the nearby lamp's amber light. She spoke to one of the rings. "I love you, Mom. Come…home soon." Honō closed her eyes, and both she and her dad slept soundly in each other's arms.

One of the rings lit up like fire, but it did not burn. The fire danced only on the ring, and gave the sleeping dad and daughter extra warmth. The two latched onto that new warmth, and embraced it. It was familiar, but they knew she wasn't there. She was still somewhere else, fighting Grimm with the others. This sign was a small consolation, and they knew what it meant.

 _I_ _'_ _m right here._

… _ **Mind went somewhere. Don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t take it seriously. I mean it**_ _ **'**_ _ **s only a possibility. If you guys want to take this seriously, then go ahead, and have fun with it. I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t mind. I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m fine saying there**_ _ **'**_ _ **s at least four, but that**_ _ **'**_ _ **s all I**_ _ **'**_ _ **ll say. That**_ _ **'**_ _ **s**_ **some** _ **truth to this future. Hope you enjoyed this.**_

 _ **BTW: The song Naruto sings is**_ _ **"**_ **I** **'** **ll Never Go** **"** _ **-David Archuleta version. It**_ _ **'**_ _ **s cheesy, sure, but it fits how Naruto romances in this story, right?**_

 _ **Review, follow, favorite, I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	15. A Simple Friday

_**Happy holidays! I hope you enjoy this chapter. On to the story!**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 13: A Simple Friday

 _Tiny hands grabbed Lupa_ _'_ _s dress. The woman looked down to see a confused pair of blue orbs._ _"_ _Granny, why is my name not like the others?_ _"_ _A preschooler Naruto asked._ _"_ _Everyone has a color of something that remi_ _nds them of a color_ _…_ _what does mine mean?_ _"_ _The elderly woman kneeled down._

 _"_ _Your name means maelstrom._ _"_ _Lupa answered. Naruto stared blankly; he didn_ _'_ _t know what that word meant._ _"_ _You know when you stir your mug of hot chocolate, and there_ _'_ _s that little hole there?_ _"_ _Naruto nodded, but unsure what relevance did it have to his question._ _"_ _Imagine that swirl, but bigger and in the ocean._ _"_ _Naruto imagined, and was a little terrified. He imagined being swallowed up. Thankfully, Lupa_ _'_ _s voice returned him to reality._ _"_ _You_ _'_ _re that, Naruto._ _"_

 _"…_ _So I_ _'_ _m a big toilet in the ocean?_ _"_ _Naruto asked. Lupa palmed her face. Of course he would think of it like that. Never mind the fearsome vortex capable of dragging ships to their untimely demise; it's a giant toilet bowl. Fear the ocean's toilet bowl._ _"_ _Ew_ _…_ _my name sucks._ _"_

 _"_ _It may be that you were named for a whirlpool, Naruto, but your parents might have named you after a hero too._ _"_ _Naruto became increasingly confused. Lupa sat on a nearby chair, and set the child on her lap._ _"_ _There was a hero long, long ago with the same name you have. He had magical powers that gave him unimaginable power, and he used that power to stop the end of the world._ _"_

 _"Isn't magic fake?_ _"_ _Naruto asked. "What kind of_ _powers do you mean?"_

 _Lupa smiled at him._ _"_ _They say he could control the elements, copy himself, and just blow things up that were baddies. He was fearsome, yet liked by everyone who knew him. People who fought him called him a demon, but to his friends, he was a savior." Naruto's eyes widened. Lupa could see in his eyes that he wanted to follow in his namesake's footsteps. "But stories are stories; I_ _'_ _m not sure if they_ _'_ _re true. What is true, and confirmed by every story about him, is that the hero, Naruto, knew that when his friends were in danger, he fought with all he had. He never gave up because that's how he was._ _"_

 _GF* &^FBLJKETE124r#))(_ _"_ _{_

 _"_ _Not you too_ _…"_ _An old man told to no one but himself. Wind attempted to push him back, but failed. The surge of power in front of him did not make him quiver. He had felt this power before; he had used it too millennia ago when the world needed that kind of power. Now_ _…_ _he wasn_ _'_ _t so sure. The old man tightened his fists._ _"_ _You_ _'_ _d use that on your own partner?!_ _"_ _He stared at the giant sphere of absolute destruction._ _"_ _Answer me!_ _"_

 _A titanic beast sent its head down. The sphere followed the beast_ _'_ _s movement. The sheer size of the attack blotted the old man_ _'_ _s view of the moon and the beast in front of him. The charging orb neared the old man at a astonishing pace. The surrounding ground gave way; the trees disintegrated; the mountains crumbled. Yet the old man did not move away. He only lifted his right hand, where a small ball materialized, and said something._

 _"_ _Chi$ !*( &^YU1765?_ _"_ _:_ _"_

* * *

Naruto's eyes shot open. ' _What was_ that _about?_ ' He asked himself. He breathed in deeply. Whoever that strange, old man was, Naruto did not want him to fight that Grimm who basically had a giant bomb for an attack. ' _I have a dream about my name then I get something else punched into my head. That_ can't _be something that happened by chance._ ' He combed his hair back using his hands. ' _What was the reason for that image?_ ' He still asked himself while he got out of bed, and looked at the time. "I can't be thinking about this. I need to go back to doing some work." Yeah…he needed something to get his mind off of the dream. Thankfully, he noticed his condition was much better now that he got some rest.

He went to the doctor of the academy, and requested to give him a look over. The medical man deemed him fit to leave and work again. Naruto immediately dashed out the infirmary with his stuff under his left arm, and hurried off into his own room to get right back to work.

* * *

Notice: Naruto Uzumaki

Must clean up the first year building, which means;

Must clean the halls;

Must clean the restrooms;

Must clean cafeteria;

Must clean classrooms;

Must clean Miss Goodwitch's Arena;

Must clean both male and female locker rooms in first year building

 _ **ALONE!**_

P.S. You'll finish this by the end of the day at midnight. No ramen for you.

-Boss

Naruto's eyes twitched. ' _How cruel of you, boss._ ' Naruto shed invisible tears. ' _What did I do to piss you off?_ ' Sure he wrecked Miss Goodwitch's arena, but that's all! What else did he do that warranted this kind of hostile and inhumane demand?! ' _No ramen?! How could he do this to me?!_ ' He panicked. No ramen in his system would make him less productive. No ramen made him cranky. No ramen made him…

"Oh, Naruto." Said a bald and monotone and boring man. "I see you noticed the notice. Must suck for you." Naruto lowered his head. He couldn't show his frustration.

"What did I do, Mister Saitama?"

The man shrugged. "Dunno." Naruto's shoulders visibly sagged. "Hey, hey! Don't worry. Fight on! I know you can do all our boss says within the time limit." He slammed a palm on Naruto's back. He got a small smile from the teen, and he was satisfied with the sight. "I got my share of troubles too. Later." The bald man dashed away in hopes of finishing his job.

Naruto stared at the man's retreating form. Something felt off about him in Naruto's opinion, but he didn't question it. He moved on, and looked at the itinerary he was given. He placed the notice letter in his left pocket on his janitor jumpsuit, and slapped his cheeks. "All right! I'm gonna finish this all in twelve hours! Watch me, Boss!" He dashed off to the nearest janitor closet, and took the equipment from there. "Ready or not, first year building! Here I come!" But he stopped. He realized how heavy his work load was. '…Maybe I should make my special drink." He debated on it. While it would make his work be done faster, it would make things quite hectic. ' _But I would get things done faster_ _…_ ' That sealed it for him. It was pathetic that it wasn't even qualified as a debate. He headed to the cafeteria to grab a can of Abomination, ten-hour energy, and mix it all with a tablespoon of Burn Dust.

Naruto acquired his ingredients, and went to an empty table to mix his insane concoction. He grabbed a nearby tall glass, and poured in the Abomination energy-drink. Next, a pill of ten hour energy was dissolved into the liquid. Then the final part, Burn Dust, was dumped in one go, and stirred to completely be invisible in the liquid. Satisfied by his work, he smiled. The eldritch beverage, personally dubbed as "Six Feet Under," glowed unnaturally gold. Naruto paused. He realized what he was about to do. In his final moments of sanity, he chose to contact one of his sister-figures, Camellia. He typed a simple message.

 _I_ _'_ _m going six feet under._

And send. Naruto pocketed his Scroll, then glanced over his drink. ' _On three._ ' He told himself. Within three breaths, he grabbed the glass of monstrous concoction, and wolfed it down bottoms up. He slammed the glass on the table, and wiped the residual liquid on his lips.

The effect was instant. His blue eyes moved erratically in all directions. His body twitched like a maniac on withdrawal. His mouth ejected a tiny puff of flame. Energy coursed thought his body, and he relished it. His mouth curved upwards and outwards into a smile that is similar to the Cheshire Cat's. He had to do something! He pulled out the notice issued to him. Naruto reread it over and over again. The gears in his head went into overdrive. He had an idea, and he knew what he was gonna do.

* * *

Ten minutes. It took ten minutes after the first bell rang for chaos to ensue. Ozpin looked blankly at the janitorial boss. "What did you do?" He asked. "Why is the boy so much more motivated to clean that he hacked the automated mini-sweepers's system hub to make those things clean the hallways like it was a battlefield?!" The janitor boss chose to say nothing. "What did you do?" He asked again. The man in question still did not answer. "Tell me why the boy is leaking fire from the corners of his mouth while furiously cleaning the first year building?!"

* * *

"I am the King of CLEANING! Feel the wrath of my Cleaning Army!" Naruto shouted as he rode on the leading automated cleaning robot across the first floor hallways. He along with several robots swept floors in three waves. The ruckus caused by this sent teachers in the building in a state of confusion. They were baffled by the sight of the janitor's hysteric laugh and actions as he and his cleaning crew cleaned the hallways. Students crowded to door to watch the janitor make a fool out of himself with his over-energetic act. Few wanted him to stop. Like team CRDL for instance; they wanted to get payback.

So when they boldly declared they would stop the chaos Naruto caused, a betting ring came alive. The whole first year building students and staff were in on it with the chances of team CRDL succeeding being a one in a 500 chance. CRDL did not appreciate the lack of confidence. Everyone else appreciated the impending karmic beatdown they so rightfully deserve. Yang herself betted her all of her monthly allowance provided by her dad to show her support for Naruto's…unique behavior. Ruby was at least a little more conservative. Blake chose to not bet at all, but she knew who would win. Weiss…she wasn't going to bet either she did not need anyone else's money.

CRDL stood proudly. Armed to stop Naruto, they waited. When they heard the roar of the vacuums, each member of the team prepared themselves with weapons drawn. When Naruto's presence became closer, they froze up like statues. An oppressive Aura glued them right where they stood. They could see all the way down the hallway. They could see the demon that took over Naruto's body. The janitor's piercing, glowing, orange eyes stared at each and every member of team CRDL, who felt their loins about to lose control. The fire leaking out of Naruto's mouth didn't ease the retaliating team's worries, nor did it boost their confidence. Naruto's distant cackling made them shake.

"I see trash ahead! Time to take it out!" Naruto shouted. CRDL was flabbergasted. Immature students let out a chorus of whoops at the insult towards the team. The sound of a thousand screeches silenced further noise. CRDL was confused. They stopped him without any effort? They were about to cheer. Naruto cleared his throat.

Yang's 'something-awesome sense' tingled as shown by her ahoge in a ramrod straight position.

"Allow me to impress upon you…" He said uncharacteristically stern. "The severe mistake you have made." The statement, pounded by the oppressing feeling of death, halted the four boys' breaths. "For years my conduct has been largely been benign. And yet, without provocation, you have severed our détente, and forced me to unleash upon you the vengeful flames of a _thousand_ suns!" His arms ignited into two balls of flame. The heat it gave off was impressive, if not frightening due to the fact Naruto might actually burn something with heat alone. His deathly orange eyes stared into team CRDL's souls. "You shall _curse_ your mothers for the day of your _birth._ So, go now! Go!" He roared. "And begin your life of _fear_ , knowing that when you _least_ expect it, the looming sword of Damocles will _crash down_ upon you, _cleaving_ you in twain!" The flames expanded in size, and so did the heat. It was a godsend that the robot sweepers were built to last in whatever precarious, environmental condition. "And as you gaze upon the smoking wreckage that was once your life, you will regret the day you crossed the _wrong_ BEAST!" Naruto's fist clashed together, dissipating the flames into a set of harmless fireworks.

Yang shivered at the new attitude Naruto took. She knew something was wrong, but forget that! This Naruto was so imposing and cool, and…absolutely maniacal. If he could put the moves on her the way he was right now, she might have a difficult time resisting. But she was an independent woman who isn't that weak-willed; she would make him work for her affection. In turn, she would work to gain his affection. Mutual affection would hopefully lead to love. In her eyes at least.

Blake stared at the scene with indifferent eyes. ' _So the stories are true. The drink_ 'Six Feet Under' _does exist._ ' She thought with mild wonder. Her mind wandered on the stories she thought were exaggerated. Chaos. That one word summed up that drink if digested by a Fiamma. ' _Let them meet their doom, milord._ ' She thought happily. CRDL deserved their just desserts for their wrongdoings to certain students.

Weiss scowled. ' _I thought he was uneducated?_ ' She thought. The young woman in white saw the janitor at times reading books that were common knowledge. Her mind could not comprehend how the janitor gained an extensive, varied, and somewhat _archaic_ set of vocabulary to produce such…an _eloquent_ speech based on revenge of all things. ' _Well at least he isn_ _'_ _t aiming his malice at me._ ' She saw the bright side of this. She too thought CRDL deserved some of this impending punishment.

' _So cool!_ ' Ruby thought as her eyes shone and sparkles like silver stars.

"My army…CHARGE!" Seconds later, team CRDL was separated and practically swept in one go. Each member was somewhere down the hallway, unmoving and sore from the trample of robots. People scurried back to their own business, and carried on with life.

By the time dinner came around, Weiss could see how clean the first year building became. The floor reflected. The windows allowed a little more light into the hallways. Not a single speck of dust marred the walls and columns. The paintings and murals were wiped off with masterful performance and efficiency. Sadly, her other team members couldn't see the amount of work done to the building. ' _So he_ can _clean up. I_ _'_ _m actually surprised._ ' She continued looking at the fantastically cleaned building while she overheard the blond's antics while doing his job.

As of last night, she saw Naruto in a different light. Not necessarily better, but different. She was surprised really once Goodwitch gave her time to think. Naruto hadn't lashed out at her from day one. Even knowing the bad blood between Faunus and the Schnee, Naruto was the black sheep that didn't give a damn unless he was dragged into the situation like he was yesterday. Even then, he wasn't as ignorant as others were. He knew that she, Weiss Schnee, had suffered just like the Faunus even if suffering meant multiple things due to various circumstances. He hadn't even raised a hand against her for berating him. That said much about his patience. Most she would get was a forced smile. Naruto himself let out his feelings right then and there, and did not hesitate. He hated the condition between Humans and Faunus. He hated how she targeted him. He went as far as to mock her and stereotype her because of it. But not once did he ever raise a hand.

"What did you hear, Rubes?" Yang asked her little sister. "What juicy events happened today with our lovely janitor?"

Ruby puffed her chest. "Thanks to my speedy self, I heard that Naruto not only cleaned the place up, but he also hacked the mini-sweepers to do it." Yang and Blake were hardly impressed since they saw that part themselves. "Other than that, he gave the main hall of the building a new paint job with orange as the main one, and he used others to give variety to the place. And he did it almost as fast as Professor Oobleck!"

"Well color would give this place a little more life." Blake admitted. "Gray marble seems lackluster when we have colorful names to go by."

Yang pouted. She didn't care about that, she cared about the insanity that came about it! Where was the chaos? The madness? Certainly _something_ had to have happened. No one would just give up trying to calm down Naruto, right? Right? "Lame…"

"Speaking of Professor Oobleck, what happened to him?" Blake asked her team as she pointed ahead of them. Yang perked up. Ruby turned around. Weiss was still deep in her thoughts about Naruto.

The Professor spat out coffee. He eyed the mug he held like it was some monstrosity. Otherwise he was…was normal. _Normal._ Normal…everything. Except… "Who gave me DECAF?!" He demanded. Oum, his talking speed was normal. He went deeper into the hall. Oum, his walking speed was normal! His hair went down, and his appearance was more clean. He looked normal! Well…ignoring the hair color, he was normal. The Professor barged into his colleague's classroom. "Port! Did you steal my imported Mistralian coffee again?" He got no verbal answer because a retreating trio of Boarbatusks broke through the nearby wall.

"Edgar!" The portly Professor Port shouted to the escaping Grimm.

The boar-like monsters rolled into a wheel, and dashed away deeper into the halls. Straggling first years were startled. They fled into empty classrooms in order to not get run over by the Grimm. The elder Huntsmen could not catch up. Port was too stout to reach them, and Oobleck was debuffed because of decaf. Neither did they have their weapons on them; too inconvenient to bring into the halls.

Yang chased after the Grimm. The rest of team RWBY followed in a slower pace. They couldn't fight; moreover, neither could the others. Their weapons were in the locker rooms, and they did not want to do property damage to their building. Selfish, but the teachers could handle it. Though, out of all of the students, Yang could confidently say that she had one of the most convenient pair of weapons. Ember Celica were bracelets; she could bring it anywhere provided that she did not activate them for combat. With a twist of both her forearms, Yang made Ember Celica combat ready. The Grimm were around the corner. She was ready for them.

The blonde halted just before the turn. She heard a gruesome impact. It was bone-crushing, gut-wrenching, and quite fleshy. She was familiar with the sound. It was the same sound that came after forcefully punching a Grimm. Another sickening crunch echoed out, and a black blur of what was left of one Boarbatusk was sent flying past Yang's line of sight.

"Hey, hey…" Muttered a familiar voice. "What are you doing here mucking up _my_ building?!" His Aura flared like a beacon of light. Yang snickered a little. Beacon. Anyways, Naruto felt pissed. Even from around the corner, Naruto's Aura became a source of light and heat. The Boarbatusks were stepping back because of it. "I was working real hard to clean this place… now you show up." Yang heard two punches. She saw two Boarbatusks skidded back from the impact. The beasts had dented armors with wisps of steam or smoke coming from the point of impact.

' _So he_ _'_ _s stronger. A lot stronger than before._ ' Yang said to herself. Grimm armor were as tough as Atlesian Metal Gears. It took several 9mm rounds to wear down defenses because the armor wasn't as covered as man-made weapons, but the most effective ammunition were the ones Ruby used for emergencies. Her standard .50 BMG wouldn't do as much as she would like to hope against heavily armored Grimm like the Deathstalker, nor would it matter against Atlesian mobile armors like the Gear series. To make a fist-shaped dent said a lot about his growing potential and strength. She walked up next to him. Naruto was out of his janitor jumpsuit. At least half of it. He still wore it, but the top half was tied to his waist using the sleeves as a belt. He wasn't shirtless, but the black tank top he wore showed much of his physique. Yang particularly liked what she saw. "Well, well, Naruto. I didn't think you'd would be so open to defend the school." She made small talk with the blond janitor.

"They dirtied the hall." Naruto explained with a raised fist. "I worked hard on that." Yang noticed he was a little bit better now. Calmer.

"Well...want some help cleaning this up?" Yang offered. Grimm on school grounds meant someone needed to destroy it. Only she and Naruto were available, and the closest to the Grimm.

Naruto punched his fists together. He bared a eager and destructive smile. "Gladly!" Yang scratched that earlier thought. Naruto was still different. She never expected him to be eager for a battle. Whatever drink he drank, it made a lasting impression on her. Yang punched her fists together as well, and readied herself for a fight.

Naruto dashed in, and grabbed one Boarbatusk's tusks. His grip was amazing. Yang could see cracks branched out from Naruto's palms. The young man used brute strength to lift up the beast. He let go, and the Grimm was momentarily airborne. His instincts kicked in. Danger was to his left; Yang warned him for emphasis. His body moved in one, clean motion. It was far too well-trained -ingrained- that it wasn't a fumbling, learning fighter anymore that she saw. He lowered himself; his arm hooked underneath while another held onto a tusk. Yang saw what Naruto aimed to do. But she wasn't sure if this was Naruto anymore. In front of her was an experienced warrior who countered a straightforward charge by using the force and momentum of the Boarbatusk to chuck it to the airborne sibling.

Both Grimm were sent to the wall, and bounced off while it left a noticeable dent on the surface. "Now, Yang!" He shouted. Yang did as ordered, and went for two birds with one stone. She leapt up high into the air. Her feet touched the surface of the wall, then bounced off it. She sent her right arm into one Boarbatusk's unprotected belly, and sent it flying into its fellow monster. Both Grimm bounced off the floor. Yang landed just in time to get rushed by both monsters. She overlooked Naruto's presence directly in front of her. She only noticed when she heard the sounds of metal screeched on metal. "Hey! Little help, Yang." He said to her. The blonde Huntress in training wised up, and flanked one of them.

She punched it out of rolling position, and knocked it against its partner. She did not stop there. Her barrage included an uppercut to the belly; a fierce straight to the forehead; a hook to the cheek and tusks; and a Dempsey roll to finish it off. With her Grimm down, out, and an airborne husk she watched how Naruto fared. He sent an unstable ball of Aura into her defeated Boarbatusk's belly. The attack seemed to hook the Grimm into it, and Naruto chucked against the other Grimm before it exploded in a violent vortex of fire. Oddly enough, the final Grimm survived the attack. The only thing different about it was that it was on fire.

Wonderful.

"Woah!" Ruby exclaimed. "Was that the same Aura move he used against Yang?!"

"It would seem so." Blake responded. "It grounded on the Boarbatusk's hide, and burned it as well. It crushed, seared, and tore through before it became incapable of maintaining its shape."

"What a dastardly destructive move…" Weiss commented. Her teammates eyes were on her. "Could you imagine that attack hit a person with no Aura?" She was met with silence, and a slight gagged reaction from Ruby. "I have to say that he's very coordinated now. Almost _too_ coordinated."

"I know what you mean." Blake agreed. "But does that really matter in this context?"

Weiss shook her head. "No, I guess not. But you must admit that he's getting stronger a little too fast. It's unnatural." She remarked. "That injury he got seemed to just wash away like nothing too. There's something strange going on with him."

Blake said nothing. She noticed her white-clad teammate being quite observant. It said nothing about Weiss's inner thoughts; however, she felt that Weiss was being more accepting of Naruto now. She also said nothing because her bluntness caused conflict when aimed at Weiss. Her prejudice against the Schnee could be seen from a mile away. The less she said about anything controversial, the better off their team dynamics were.

"I expected a bigger boom." Naruto said to no one in particular. "Imperfect…" He mumbled. Yang eyed Naruto with disbelieving eyes. Naruto may be destructive when it came to fighting, but he didn't actually care for the destruction he caused. She may not be able to get into his head, but from what she experienced from fighting him, Naruto did not hold back against any opponent including her. All Naruto needed to do to make his attack have a bigger effect was to add more Aura. "Hey! Are you getting bigger?" He asked the beast.

The Boarbatusk let out a loud bellow. True to Naruto's question, it looked like the Grimm got bigger. It's tusks became wider and larger. More bony plate jutted out like spikes. The students who were nearby to see it knew the Grimm was in the process of evolution. It was the one distinction Professor Port emphasized. Bigger size usually meant evolution. Among the armor-types, more plates were the main characteristic of evolution. Avian-types grew in size and had stronger hides. Predator-types gained sharper claws, fangs, or stronger muscles to bite or tear through flesh. Surprisingly it was one of the few things relevant to the man's stories. The flaming, armored beast rammed itself at Naruto. The blond janitor was pushed back as the Grimm kept running to the wall behind Naruto. People could hear the shoes Naruto wore squealed over the grunts and growls of the rushing Boarbatusk. That same squeal was drowned out by the thunderous noise of Naruto's weapons ejecting flames. Monster vs beast collided to a standstill.

"Ballsy, aren't you?! Is that why you're getting bigger?" Naruto asked with a challenging smile. "I don't want you messing up the halls even more…" He told the soulless monster just before jumping away, and leaving the halls. "Catch me if you can, Porky!" Naruto taunted while he sprinted to the nearest exit. The Grimm followed instinctively. Surprisingly, it didn't do any damage as it chased after Naruto.

Team RWBY wanted to follow after him. Ruby used her semblance, and followed. She wanted to see how Naruto would obliterate the Boarbatusk. Blake was confident Naruto would win, so wasn't in any hurry; her jogging pace was enough for her. Weiss placed a time dilation glyph on Yang, then skated across the floor to spectate the fight. With Weiss's help, Yang saw her speed increase dramatically.

The professors, Port and Oobleck, got their weapons, and followed team RWBY. Port needed that Grimm for practical studies. An evolving Alpha meant a difficult opponent for practical. Almost all of his captures were that of Betas; students only faced the weaker ones, never a leader in his class. All the more imperative to capture it.

"Port, I must say. Why are you so adamant on calling the Grimm you capture 'Edgar?'" The green-haired professor questioned. "After all these years, and multiple Grimm, you continue to call them 'Edgar' when they are clearly different from the original."

The portly man laughed as they gave chase to the Grimm. "Silly Barty, you don't understand." He gave a pause to which Bartholomew Oobleck waited patiently for an answer. His voice deepened. "Edgar is the one in the hole."

* * *

Naruto ran through the halls with a burning Boarbatusk on his tail. First years scrambled for cover, while a brave few decided to call for their weapons. Naruto glared at those people, and successfully stopped them from making his job harder than it already was. He did not want to clean up after their mess. Broken glass or ceiling wasn't easy to clean up. Thankfully, the nearest exit was just around the corner. He planted a hand to the floor, and skidded to a stop. His kicking foot sprung out so he could make a mad dash to the door. He covered his face with his arms as he busted through the large doors. The Boarbatusk wasn't far behind. He needed a plan fast.

' _Surprise attack._ ' He thought. ' _But how?_ ' He jumped back, and landed on top of the slightly pitched roof just above the door. ' _Perfect spot to ambush the_ thing.' He told himself. ' _Then send him flying with one dynamic entry._ ' He smiled mischievously. The Grimm barged out the door, alarming the students enough to _properly_ call their lockers to their position outside the building. At least this way it wasn't his problem. However, it was Naruto's problem to deal with the Grimm. It caused some imperfections to his work. The Grimm would pay.

 _"Rotate. Keep a steady stream. Compact it."_

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows. ' _What?_ ' He asked himself. His mind was bombarded by the image of that imperfect Aura attack he made. ' _What is this?!_ ' He had no control over the image, nor of his body. Phantom strings pulled his arms to do that same attack again. Aura pooled on his right hand. ' _You've gotta be kidding me!_ ' The flaming palm morphed into shape with the (reluctant) will of the maker. Flames were rotated, twisted, coiled, revolved to the point that it could not be identified as fire, but rather a red storm in his hands. He kept his Aura flowing into the construct, fueled to become faster and hotter. Naruto noticed that what he did before were the proceeding steps to a perfect version. He made it rotate and kept it going on the first try that night on the roof. His mind understood where he went wrong. The attack would break apart the moment he let it go. He needed a shell. ' _I don't know who you are, voice in my head, but thanks for the tip._ ' He compacted the sphere of fiery death, and cut the flow of Aura in. All he needed to do was maintain the rotation speed. With his target in the open, he leaped into battle.

The Boarbatusk heard the sound of cackling fire. It turned around in time to face Naruto's attack head on. The Grimm squealed in pain. Fire danced across its hide. Its bony plates became superheated to the point that the Grimm felt pain from its own armor. The attack forcefully pushed the Grimm right into the very ground it stood on. Bone armor screamed as it became dust in the wind with each passing second. Naruto's attack succeeded in plowing through the Alpha Grimm's heavy defenses. But it was far too slow for Naruto's liking. He upped the rotation, which made the Grimm squealed louder from the unbearable pain. Its hide was torn off violently; burned in the same instance; and cauterized in the same instance. Once it dug through its skull, Naruto let it go. His right hand shot back due to recoil. The Grimm itself became a spiraling piece of barbecue that was sent into the ground in a crater far bigger than a truck.

Spectators were speechless. Perfectly normal since a janitor, who knew how to fight, used an advanced Aura manipulation to eviscerate and scorch an Alpha Boarbatusk right through its armor. Their thoughts were in sync as well as team RWBY's, who saw the attack just before it landed.

'Simple Janitor' my ass.

Though in Ruby's case, that last part was replaced with a 'Yeah, right.'

* * *

An hour later, the damage was fixed; the rumor mill stopped once more; and Naruto got enough peace to finish his work. He was berated by teachers for his rash behavior. Which really, it meant that Glynda was the one who lectured him. Professor Port was more lenient, but he was rather disappointed that Edgar became a smoking hole in the ground. Naruto was honestly surprised that he became sober sooner than he thought. The effects of the drink he made wore off by lunch time. He was lucid for the whole Grimm fiasco. As he cleaned Goodrich's arena, his sister figure, Camellia, called him on his Scroll. She asked about any repercussions that happened while under the influence of the drink. Aside from being a few pegs away from clinically insane, he said it was pretty normal compared to the previous times he drank the thing.

" _Never make that thing again, Naruto._ " Camellia said from the other side of the call.

"No promises, sis." Naruto responded honestly. "Bye. Have fun with Star. And by have fun, I mean putupwithhisanticsandloudpersonality." He immediately hung up, and turned off his Scroll. Camellia always hated being reminded of her loud partner, but in reality, she didn't mind it. She was the brains to Star's brawn, and they worked well in the field.

He focused back on his work: cleaning Goodwitch's arena once more. By the next swipe of his mop, he was in his own fantasy land. It was second nature to him by now. Cleaning became monotonous. Humming music helped, but it lost its charm with time. He tried vocalizing it to motivate him, but he failed to do that while cleaning at the same time. So far, he cleaned the stands. He was in the arena platform. His plan was to go from one side to the other. Simple and effective. On the plus side, when he was done, he could take a shower in the men's shower connected by the locker rooms. Even better, he could eat ramen after he got himself a shower. "All right, Naruto! Time to kick it in high gear!" He motivated himself. His feet and hands picked up speed. His sweeps became more efficient and meticulous. Ramen was a great motivator for him as one could see.

Weiss Schnee watched from the stands. She wanted to meet with Naruto, but it seemed he was far too focus with his work to notice her presence. She found it amusing that whatever motivator Naruto had elicited such a reaction from him. She would talk with him at another time, when he wasn't busy with work. It was only courtesy to give space to those dedicated to their work. She was prepared to leave when that insufferable nickname reached her ears.

"Ice Queen!" She heard Naruto holler from the arena.

Weiss looked down with a frown. "Don't call me that." She told to the Janitor.

Naruto set his mop's handle on his chin. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be doing homework or something?"

"I wanted to talk to you, but I chose not to so you could finish your work." Weiss answered sincerely. "I'll be on my way."

"If you've got something to say, say it." Naruto put it bluntly. "I have ears. I can listen." He turned around, and continued mopping. "So? Let it out, Ice Queen."

Weiss growled. "I told you not to call me that!"

"Save it for when your icy heart has melted." Naruto fired back. Wet squelches echoed off the walls as Naruto mopped the floor. "Get on with it! I've got all night to finish this, but you? I'm sure you need your beauty sleep. And we don't want the lovely Ice Queen to lose her crystal beauty, right?" He said half-jokingly.

Weiss fell silent. It felt strange. Hearing it from Ruby, Weiss didn't get the full effect of Naruto's words. With her in person, she heard Naruto's inflections, tone, and saw his body language. She could hear some concern from his voice. Actual concern. From a Faunus. If she were the same person that came to Beacon, before she met Naruto, she would have scoffed at the concern, and immediately left the room. The current Weiss felt honored that someone was worried for her.

' _You're obviously not like the other Faunus I've met._ ' Weiss told herself. ' _Might as well be honest when he'd been honest with me so far._ ' She took a deep breath, and shoved aside her pride. "I've come to apologize for yesterday. I insulted your skills, one which you've trained for with blood and bruises as your marks of progress. As a trainee, insulting that is appalling and demeaning. I stain the name of the Schnee family by dragging your name to the ground." Naruto stopped mopping. "I'm also apologizing for attacking you with the aim to kill you, and that wasn't acceptable as a person to kill someone in cold blood."

"Hey, hey. I deserved it." Naruto said with a dismissive wave. "I said some harsh things to you. It was only natural you'd fight back. I say we're even. I attacked you with words. You attacked with a giant sword. Equivalent exchange." He said to the Schnee.

"Words don't physically stab through the body, Naruto." Weiss pointed out. "I say it's hardly equivalent."

"Ah, but it's words like those that got some of your family assassinated." Naruto put it simply.

Weiss's breath hitched for a moment. "I...can't deny that." Ignorant words killed part of her family. Naruto couldn't have said it any better, and any simpler. "It seems Humans and Faunus _really_ do lack a proper way to communicate."

"What do you mean? There's one right here." Naruto said. "You're talking to a Faunus, remember?" Weiss could never forget. She attacked him in public while she knew that he was a Faunus. And now that the blond mentioned it, they were communicating rather effectively. "And what a surprise, we're not aiming to slit the other's throat. If both sides weren't so eager to place blame on the other, our situations would be much better, Schnee."

"I wholly agree." She said to the janitor. She met silence. "What's wrong, Naruto?"

Naruto explained the situation with one short sentence. "A Schnee agreed with a Faunus." He turned around to face the young woman in white. "There may still be hope left for your family, Weiss. If you keep going like this, people will see you differently. They won't see you as the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company. They won't see you as a racist bigot. However, they will see the true you. They will see you as fragile because of your past. They will see you as comforting because you think things through and show compassion while doing so. And they will see you as inviting like the first snow of winter."

Weiss crossed her arms. "You think you know me?"

"You know it says a lot that you're willing to kill me just to stop me from comparing you to your dad." Naruto said monotonously. Weiss glanced away with embarrassment plastered all over her face. "I'm an idiot, but I can see why a person would do something by looking at their body language. You shaking in anger each time I did it was a dead giveaway."

Silence grew between the two. Naruto showed he was more insightful than he let on.

"Well...is that it?" Naruto asked. "I've really got to get back to working on this arena."

"Would you like help?"

"You'd be willing to get dirty, and work with a Faunus?"

"I want to help as a way to apologize for my actions yesterday." Weiss explained.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Be my guest." He said. "Come on down."

The Human and Faunus duo cleaned silently. There was nothing needed to be talked about. Weiss had said what she needed to say. She cleared up whatever she needed to clear up with Naruto, and found that coming clean felt better than being bitter about it. She had no qualms cleaning with him. He was surprisingly pleasant company. A bit blunt and casual, but pleasant.

"Say, Naruto."

"Hm?"

"You've got a date with Yang, right?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you plan on doing, and what are you planning on wearing?"

"...Casual and basically winging it." He said with slight hesitation.

"What?"

"What?"

"You can't be serious."

"Completely." Naruto told her. "I've got no experience with this."

"..."

 _ **And that's it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I won't say much, but enjoy your holidays, guys and girls!**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don't care.**_

 _ **This is Azure, signing off.**_


	16. A Simple Friday: From Shadows

_**And here**_ _ **'**_ _ **s more plot. Sad to say that this won**_ _ **'**_ _ **t have Naruto and Yang**_ _ **'**_ _ **s date. For the sake of keeping a certain direction for the chapter, this one was split. Enjoy the chapter.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 14: A Simple Friday: From Shadows

The elevator hummed infinitely as it lowered further down the ground floor of the school. Three people were in the elevator: Ozpin, Glynda, and Emiya. Ozpin wasn't humored by the events caused by the janitorial boss beside him. Said boss knew his actions weren't met with praise or any positive feedback. Glynda herself watched the tension between them steadily rise, yet she knew… It would't break anytime soon. The elevator speakers sounded out a ding. The three reached their destination: the Vault.

The three exited the elevator with soulless steps to fill the void of silence in the moodily lit chamber of secret. "I don't approve of your evaluation." Ozpin broke the silence. "He is unfit for the role." The three continued walking to see the entirely of the mysterious hall. "Strong he may be, but he is inexperienced and lacks guidance. Better yet, he should not be involved in this plot at all."

The man once known as Archer scoffed. "The Brotherhood of the Seasons involves three factions: The Observers, Sentries, and the Cleaners." The janitor boss spoke sternly. "As part of the last faction, I deem him worthy of joining our ranks perfectly."

"Are you two talking about enlisting Naruto to our cause?" Glynda asked the two white-haired men in front of her. Her question was met with great pause influenced by silence and hesitance.

"He is one to watch out for, Goodwitch." Emiya spoke with confidence. "I know those flames well." He said cryptically. Ozpin and Glynda wondered what he meant by that. As if he read their minds, he said, "I've fought against and…eventually with the infamous Fiamma Secondo." The janitor was left walking on his own because Ozpin and Glynda stopped right then and there. "What? It's not that much of a surprise. I was a mercenary. People -Humans- wanted Fiamma Secondo dead." The explanation wasn't good enough. The janitor sighed. "We don't have time for this. All I'm saying is that Naruto is better off knowing exactly what he is getting into. Sure we have actual civies in the staff, but he is more apt to be instated to the Cleaners."

Ozpin tapped his cane onto the floor. "I will have none of that, Emiya. He should not be pushed onto this!"

"You would willingly waste talent like that?!" The janitor shouted. "You saw for yourself those movements. That was not the motions of the once feared Lunatic Lupa, whose wild swings were unmatched in power and unusual grace. That, Naruto's performance, was something else entirely. He used brute force when necessary, and redirected attacks that were easily blocked. He knew the ins and outs of close combat, and he had the power to back it up. That was no rookie fighter." Yet despite his words, the Headmaster did not waver. The janitor knew it was foolish to go against one of the Observers. In terms of rank, Cleaners were on the bottom of the hierarchy. His words easily fell on deaf ears. "You would discard him, an Ace in the sleeve that could give us the highest chance of victory?!"

"Naruto is weak." Ozpin declared boldly. "He may have skill against those of his age, but… But he is weaker than you and other janitors here. He would easily fall." Rusted gold eyed brown. The janitor waited for further explanation. "Naruto cannot handle the people in your ranks. Mister Heartnet could outmaneuver him easily using his agility as a Cat Faunus, and shoot at blindspots. Miss Lee has Altas military training along with her reckless gunplay; moreover, she has military equipment that could fill a warehouse entirely. Naruto in comparison has less cards to show. Miss Victoria is like Miss Valkyrie, but far more feral in battle and trigger-happy; her Harkonnen cannon could easily deplete Naruto's Aura if so much as one bullet landed its mark. Moreover, her raw power alone could blindside him. Mister Shengsun can handle him in close-combat, and electrocute him to incapacitate. Tactically, he can overpower an inexperienced teen. Similarly, Mister Amano's lightning could prove to be difficult to handle if he goes all out. Stein can disrupt Aura, and is proficient in close-combat as well. Mustang…let's not talk about him; he's still angry the boy stole his attack. Even so, the man has other ways to deal against a young boy resistant -possibly immune- to fire. Saitama?"

"…"

"I know the people you work with, Archer. Black Cat, Gunslinger Revy, Victory Bullet Seras, Black Reaper, Lightning Emperor, Dr. Stein, Flaming Mustang…" The Headmaster resisted the urge to snicker. "Caped Baldy, otherwise known as One Punch-man."

"…"

"He is not a trump card, Archer. He is far from being one." Ozpin stressed. He walked deeper into the chamber, and Glynda soon followed. "The more you press on this matter, the more you will eventually see the error in your mindset."

"Error?"

"We have no need for a Sky in our shadowy realm." Ozpin spoke vaguely. His voice bounced off the walls of the chamber, which left a hollow echo.

Emiya growled. "So that's the reason? Why not get to the point earlier? It would have saved time!" His footsteps became heavier as he neared the two Observers stationed at Beacon.

"Indeed, it would have." The Headmaster admitted without sparing a glance at the janitor. "However, you are a man of will. You would continue to pester me on the matter." Emiya conceded to the truth. "So I decided fact, rationale, and logic would make you see differently."

"He would be too flashy for our organization…" Emiya explained Ozpin's reasons.

"Yes… flashy enough to attract the foes that I want to keep him away from." Ozpin muttered. "He's already attracting attention in the Media. In no time, the White Fang will come here because of it." As much as Ozpin tried to remove video recordings of Naruto, there were far too many Scrolls to confiscate, and only one of him to stop it. No student would part with their devices; not without a reasonable explanation. Telling the truth would be more of a lie than it actually was. No one would believe that Naruto is the heir to the seat of the White Fang, and that he's a target. It sounded more like an excuse to keep Naruto under wraps from other prying eyes that no student really cares about. Whatever they saw interesting had to be shared. Naruto unfortunately…would not be safe for long.

"So he's alone…" The janitor said lowly.

"I would not be so sure, Emiya." Glynda spoke up, finally able to speak without interruption. "I can aid him. I've already done so in the past."

"With all due respect, I doubt teaching will help him." He crossed his arms. "What is he going to do? Talk them out of it?" The man scoffed at the idea. "Ridiculous. Almost as foolish as my naive outlook in the past." He looked at Glynda. "One woman cannot save him from an army."

Ozpin hummed. "You may regret those words in the future…"

"What? You think she can handle the entirety of the White Fang?" He asked the Headmaster. Behind him, rage expanded.

"Oh not that." Ozpin said. "The fact you insulted her skills as a Huntress is what I'm pointing to." The Headmaster walked away. Glynda followed with an insulted expression on her face.

* * *

' _I want to be strong_ _…_ ' She said to herself. Power surged in her palms. Foreign, unique, and absolutely enticing. ' _I want_ _…_ _to be feared._ ' The power expelled out of her body. Bound to her Aura it may be, this power was something else. She could feel her Aura mix with this unfamiliar power. ' _I want_ _…_ _to be_ powerful.' They were distinctly separate, but to use it, they fused, amalgamate, combined to become this power. ' _Almost there_ _…_ ' She felt it stir. It continued to fuse and become one; however, the more complex the action, the more the power wanted to escape -reject- her. The power she felt lashed out seconds later, and disrupted her focus. Burning flame-like eyes raged at the sight. ' _Why? Why won_ _'_ _t it_ bend _to my will?! I can do basic attacks, but to recreate some feats from that damnable woman is near impossibility!_ '

Years… She obtained this power years ago! Why did she still fail to attain mastery over her piece of absolute power?! She tightened her fists. She needed to calm herself. If she lashed out, her subordinates would see a giant moment of weakness. She did not want to be seen as weak. A person with a fraction of absolute power was _not_ weak. She took several deep breaths. Eventually…this power, the Fall Maiden's power, would be hers to control. All she needed was the other half…and time.

She had plenty of of the latter, but nothing of the former's half.

"Cinder." A female voice called out from behind.

"What is it, Emerald?"

Emerald set herself down on one knee out of respect for the woman. "There's still no word of where Taurus went. No doubt he'd been captured. Worse case scenario: he's dead."

Cinder took a momentary pause. She crossed her arms, and pondered on the information. Ultimately, she dismissed it. "He played his part." Cinder said smoothly with that voice as smooth as glass. "He aided in the growing split in the White Fang. The loyal ones stay while the traitors face the threat of the kingdoms' peoples." Cinder turned around to face one of her best subordinates. "Sacrifice the pawns to advance the game." Her heels clicked on the cement floor. Her hips swayed enticingly as she walked to the map of Remnant on the other side of the room.

The world of Remnant was in front of her. Her plans were in motion, and with her power, it could only become smoother later on. Mistral would burn when the White Fang fought itself. Atlas would drown in their sea of metal. Vacuo would be swept away. Vale… Oh her plans for that are already set in motion.

Emerald had to question Cinder's method. "Shouldn't more allies be of use to us? You would use them, the White Fang, like that?" Emerald questioned Cinder. The young woman in green heard her master's heel stab into the concrete.

"Are you questioning me?" Her glassy voice became heated. It was laced with venom.

Emerald did not react. She was very calm. After being in her fair share of troubles and near-death experiences, Cinder was a little intimidating compared to when she first met the devious woman. "Not at all. I just wish to understand your line of thought. I just…what will be left of Remnant if you call the wrath of one of the Nine? What would happen if you were to face it?"

"I'll slay it of course." Cinder replied with confidence. She played with her power. It glowed in her hands, and she played with it. She showed Emerald control. A piece of the Maiden's power could fell any Human, Faunus, or Grimm. She just needed to control it.

"They say The Nine have power opposite of that to the Maidens' own." Emerald told to Cinder. "What if…what if that power is the dark equivalent to the Maidens' powers? What if you lose?" She didn't doubt Cinder. The Maidens' power was the stuff of legends. Magic. That was exclusive to four women in the world. Four women held unimaginable power. Emerald had to rethink. The Nine… The strongest of them…wiped out the forces of Mistral and Vacuo in the battle of the Mistralian Glades in an instant. What could Cinder do to stop a Grimm whose attack was too fast to comprehend? She knew Cinder had yet to fully control her power. She also knew fighting one of the Nine, or Nine itself was suicide.

Killing intent was sent at Emerald. Her experience as a thief gave her the knowledge and speed to make plans on the spot. Her fight or flight response chose fight in that instant. Her hands reached out to her guns, and pulled them out in time to block the blade aimed at her neck. She pushed it upwards, and rolled away from Cinder. She knew her superior would attack again, so she crossed her guns as soon as she recovered.

"I told you to don't think! Obey!" Cinder snarled. "You doubt me?!" Cinder demanded to know as her blade pushed down on her subordinate. Doubt needed to be squashed. She was almighty; to doubt her is to test her might. "Explain yourself!"

Emerald held her tongue. She was cornered. No matter what she said, she would fall deeper. Logic against pride. Pride won by a landslide. And this pride Cinder possessed was one not to challenge. She was cunning; however, her pride made her sensitive to comments against her. Cinder could brush off most of them, but those who pinned logic into their doubts were the ones Cinder despised.

Emerald did not know what to do to quell Cinder's rage.

"Could you fight a legendary Grimm with its full power against your incomplete one?" Another voice asked.

Cinder raised her blade. "I can, Mercury." She said confidently. "Now that you two are here, I do wonder why you two are so defiant today. Care to explain?"

Both Mercury and Emerald stayed silent. Their pause lasted about a minute. In that minute, casual glances to each other were made. Various expressions were used throughout the silent and restrained conversation. Ultimately, the two seemed to agreed to a conclusion that they could say to Cinder.

"Are we pawns to you, Cinder?" Mercury asked.

Cinder dematerialized her sword, then crossed her arms. "Now why would you two think that?" Cinder questioned her subordinates. "You are part of my inner circle, are you not?" She faced the giant map of Remnant, "We started this plot, didn't we?"

Mercury stepped forward boldly. "Inner circle implies we know your plans. We don't. You made this plot; we followed." He corrected his superior. Even now he considered her as someone above him, not equal. "We don't know your motives. We got a skeleton of your plan. We don't fully know how it would benefit us in the end, and here you are tossing allies to the Grimm." He lent a hand to Emerald. Emerald refused, and stood up on her own. Mercury wasn't insulted by it, and continued. "It's why our loyalties are being tested."

In her head, Cinder thought of ways to keep both Emerald and Mercury in line. They were her more valuable pieces. Both of them were her Knights, so to speak. Unconventional, swift, and powerful pieces by her side. They continued to serve her well, but soon, their use would end soon. She was a piece of her own, and she refused to divulge which piece she was… She needed them until that time. The best she could do was to let the seed grow, but to squash it soon after. "Then test your loyalties." Cinder dismissed the issue. "But you know the consequences of it, so do it at your own peril." The woman walked out of the room, and left her skeptic subordinates alone.

The two waited a few minutes to make sure Cinder went away. When they deemed it clear, Mercury and Emerald stared at each other. "Way to paint a target on our backs, Merc." Emerald said to the young man in gray. She placed her guns in their holsters. "Now we'll be under strict watch."

Mercury raised his hands. "Hey, don't be mad at me. I was basically telling the truth."

Emerald glared at Mercury. "You _do_ know the truth is sometimes not worth saying, right?" She grabbed the collar of his shirt. "You _do_ realize what could happen to us?"

Mercury wasn't fazed by the idea of Cinder killing him. He knew she would put her 'friends' under the bus if the time comes. As the son of a traveling Merchant/Assassin, he was well versed in the ways of the of the criminal underground. It was how he met Emerald, he knew from the moment he saw her that she was a thief. Digression aside, he was prepared for betrayal when she came to him with the offer of being part of her plot. Mercury shrugged. "Hmph, if it does, we can run before she gets the jump on us. We can live the life of thieving nomads and with twenty beautiful children together and-" Emerald smacked him on the jaw. "Ow…okay. I deserved that." Mercury admitted. "But tell me, Em." His voice became sharper and serious in tone. "Is telling her that worse than telling her to not use Naruto? To make _him_ her pawn in her grand scheme?" Emerald scowled at the name before she released Mercury.

"I suppose not." She said. The young woman turned away. "I guess your way is better. Lying to her face might not work at the moment."

"C'mon." Mercury said to his partner while he placed a hand on her shoulders. "We better do something to get our minds off of this little spat."

"A Simple Wok?" Emerald hoped.

"Simple Wok." Mercury said with a smirk.

The two exited the room, and headed for the ramen stand in Vale. They may have left with smiles on their faces, but in the back of their minds, they were worried. Naruto Uzumaki…no that wasn't right. Naruto Fiamma…their friend. They decided long ago that Naruto wasn't going to enter the world of crime even if he knew about the inner workings of the criminal underground. He was their chain to redemption. If he was dragged into it, then they would fall.

* * *

A knock on the orphanage's door woke Lupa up from her sleep. The old woman hastily got out of bed. Whoever knocked on her door was either dropping a child off or an unannounced guest. Either way, her guard was up. Her footsteps were absolutely silent. Her creaky, old floor did not bend with any of her steps. Her claws were sharp and ready; her nose sniffed for threats; her body was ready for any threat. When she reached the door, her body tensed. She felt a pair of familiar presences she hadn't gotten in contact with for years. Her instincts went into conflict. One of them was a friend for sure. The other was a traitor. She opened the door with the expectation of a frontal attack.

It was the complete opposite.

"…The hell is this?" Lupa questioned. " _Nuvola_ _…_ why is this trash in front of me bowing?"

Two people were in front of her. A bull and crow. She expected either or to come sooner or later, but not together. Adam bowed in front of her. Behind him, Qrow scratched his head. "It's a bit of explaining, gran Lupa." Lupa glared in a way that said, 'Simplify it in less than or equal to ten words.' Naturally, the man did as subconsciously ordered. "Adam and part of the White Fang want to leave."

Adam did not move out of his bowed position. He would not move until acknowledged by one of the feared generals of the White Fang.

Meanwhile, Lupa looked absolutely infuriated. Qrow defended his leader's killer. "You… You actually believe this scum, Qrow?!" She nearly shouted. "He was part of the attack team that killed Minato! Why are you of all people believing this pile of crap coming from this vermin in front of us?"

Qrow lowered his hand swiftly. He didn't tip. Lupa was surprised. The glow in his eyes, his posture, his presence… Lupa took the time to understand that the Cloud guardian of the second generation of the Fiamma was _sober._ This _sober_ Qrow spoke with more spice to his words. "I believe him because this _vermin_ is willing to break off with some defectors and the remaining Fiamma faction from the steaming pile of crap that is the current White Fang. He's willing to do that, and _fight_ for their freedom without bringing innocents in the inevitable civil war."

Lupa was left speechless. The venom in Qrow's voice was so unlike him. Usually it was sarcasm with a hint of spite. The way Qrow delivered that line was something else. The severity of the situation was clearly defined. Her anger defused, Lupa observed the current general of the White Fang. "Raise your head, Taurus." Lupa ordered. "Come inside, and speak your motives to me."

In the orphanage's kitchen, Adam spilled his story almost verbatim to Lupa. The planned desertion, his change of heart, the current status of the White Fang, everything related to it was spilled and more that he knew. It was easy to take in for Lupa.

"Is that everything?" The elderly woman asked. Adam nodded. "I see. And what of your thoughts of the Fiamma?"

"I wish to atone by becoming his sword that shall cleave all who stand against him."

Lupa leaned back on her chair. Adam was resolute just as he had been before. The Taurus were known for their resolve. She did not see any doubt in his words. "Seeing as you didn't object to this, what are your thoughts, Qrow?"

"He'd make a fine _Tempesta._ "

Lupa raised an eyebrow in interest. "Hoh? You are that sure of him?" Her question did not receive an answer. But she knew Qrow saw Adam in a positive light. "Well…that's a problem. I have a _Tempesta_ candidate from Beacon, and she is acquainted with the Fiamma." The woman gave a knowing smirk, and aimed it at Qrow. "She's a talented reaper who can be at the heart of the attack, the furious storm that never rests."

Qrow was genuinely surprised. "No…you can't mean-"

"Exactly who it is, Qrow." Lupa confirmed his fears.

The man slammed a fist on the table. "No. Absolutely not!" Qrow refused that. "It's already difficult enough to live the life of a Huntsman or Huntress, don't add extra baggage onto her!" He pleaded with the woman. Lupa herself would not back down from her choice. The Huntsman looked to Adam for help. "Taurus, do what you must to earn the Fiamma's trust! Don't let my niece become a Guardian; don't make her the _Tempesta_!"

"What is so wrong about that?" Lupa asked Qrow. "Your niece is strong for her age. She will only become stronger with time and with the power of the flame."

"That won't happen!"

Lupa looked amused by the man's reactions. "Taurus, you better get your act together and earn the Fiamma's trust to be his _Tempesta._ The way it looks right now, if you fail, you will die by Qrow's hand if you don't." Adam did not react. "But in order to do that, you must become a productive member of society that is completely harmless to humans. And what better way to do that than by being a janitor at Beacon?"

Both men looked at her strangely. She was oddly specific about that. Qrow, unenthused by the idea of Ruby being a Guardian, took out his flask of beer, and chugged.

"The Fiamma works at Beacon as a janitor too." And so the woman dropped the bomb. Adam flinched. Qrow spat out his drink like a fashionable fountain. The former did not expect his lord to perform such a demeaning job. Qrow only knew that Naruto was in Beacon; he didn't expect him to be a custodian. "Now that you know that, what better way to bond than to be a coworker? You'll essentially be doing the same thing if you become a Guardian, so why not get a head start from the other candidate?"

Adam did not hesitate in saying, "If it's to protect the Fiamma, I'll do what I must. And what I must do right now, is to impart some knowledge of who is behind this."

* * *

Mercury patted his stomach after a satisfying dinner at A Simple Wok. Emerald did not do the same as her partner, but she too was satisfied by the food. However, in the back of their minds, the two thought of Naruto.

"Who knew he was the lost heir to the Fang?" Emerald asked no one in particular.

"I'm just as surprised as you." Mercury said. "It was only two to three months ago that we got facial confirmation of what the Fiamma looked like, and bam, we got hit by _that_ bombshell." He growled as his hands balled up into tight fists. "He's an orphan, but had a background like that all along." He pondered on the situation for quite a while.

"You don't get to say anything, Cyborg Assassin."

Mercury surrendered to Emerald's point. His legs… he chose not to talk about it. His title as Assassin was inherited from his dad. Any time he and his dad traveled, it was because of an assassination job or trade. It was just luck that he learned his skills from watching his dad fight. Naruto probably didn't have that luxury if all those embellished stories about his fights with criminals were a hint. "His abandonment had to have been planned. It had something to do with his blood. Most likely, he's a bastard child, a half-breed, or both."

"Quite an assumption there." Emerald commented. The young woman looked up. "What next? The Grimm came from the moon?"

"Hey, I'm trying to figure out how to keep him out of this mess." Mercury defended himself. "In fact, you should be doing the same thing, Master Thief. Isn't there some method to wipe a person from existence?"

She thought about it. "There is one thing…" She started to say. "It's called dying." She said sassily.

"Not. Helping." Mercury growled. In the end, he gave up. "Whatever, we can think about it later." Whenever Emerald became sarcastic and sassier than him, she was pissed. The two needed a peaceful place to think about it. They eventually stopped at a park in downtown, and sat on one of the benches.

"What makes you think he's a bastard child?"

"Think about it. Him being a bastard child only makes sense. The start of the split came about seventeen years ago, when the second Fiamma lost his weapon. At that point, interracial marriages were looked down upon. Having a child from that interracial affair is even more hideous in their eyes. As a leader, the guy had to abandon Naruto if he wanted to shut the idiots up. The only reason the weapon would disappear is if he gave it away to his son. To Naruto."

"I can't deny that logic." Emerald admitted. She was surprised Mercury had the mental capacity to think about the situation like that. She didn't have the urge to do their usual banter with how important their topic of conversation was. "If what you're saying is true, then others are bound to know about think about it like that too. But…don't you think this explanation is too simplistic? Occam's razor shouldn't fit into all of this."

"What are you talking about? It's just simple in concept." Mercury told with some hesitance. "We _barely_ added politics into this; that's another beast itself. Bartering with customers when I was with my deadbeat of a dad was much simpler than figuring out power plays in a political setting." Mercury scratched his head. "Argh! Why does almost every trouble we've run into for years had something to do with him?"

Emerald wondered about that too. The Triads' capture from eight years ago, when they first met, was their first-ever encounter with trouble as friends. That happened because Naruto meddled in a trade. On her end, she stole some cash from one of their caches in Vale. Mercury waved lien around for everyone in the Red Light District to see.

" _Oi, Merchant boy. You should stop waving around your lien like a fan._ _"_ _A blond called from behind._ _"_ _You_ _'_ _re attracting small-time Triads._ _"_ _He warned._

" _Eh?_ _"_ _The Merchant boy didn_ _'_ _t understand. A kid from the street wanted to warn him about that? Useless info._ _"_ _Someone thinks they can steal from me? I_ _'_ _d like to see them try._ _"_ _He said confidently. The boy in gray watched the blond point behind him, and turned around to see a group of ten with knives as their weapon of choice._ _"_ _I can handle them._ _"_

 _Gunshots rang from the other side. The both of them watched Emerald run to them, then halt to a standstill._ _"_ _What? Another gang?_ _"_ _She asked. Two gangs in the same place wasn_ _'_ _t rare if it was a confrontation. This wasn_ _'_ _t one of those times -at least she hoped it wasn_ _'_ _t. She looked to the other two next to her in surprise for different reasons._

 _The blond stared at her as if she was someone he recognized. She herself didn_ _'_ _t recognize him. Yet the two couldn_ _'_ _t deny they had seen each other before. A passing bump, another face in the crowd, etc. they knew they had seen each other before. In the end, the blond gave up._ _"_ _Yo._ _"_ _He greeted._ _"_ _What did you do to get some of the Sharks to chase after you?_ _"_ _He asked._

"… _Stole some cash from their one of their safe houses._ _"_ _The thief answered honestly._ _"_ _You two?_ _"_

 _The blond answered for the two of them._ _"_ _I was warning this guy not to wave his money around._ _"_ _He said nonchalantly._ _"_ _Unfortunately, the Hawks saw it, and now look._ _"_

" _Uzumaki!_ _"_ _A chorus of angry voices echoed from the alley in front of the three._

" _Oh, well whaddaya know_ _…_ _The Tigers are here too._ _"_

" _Care to explain why you have the last of the gangs after you?_ _"_

" _Stopped a trade of drugs, and beat them up._ _"_ _The blond said truthfully._ _"_ _Since my name_ _'_ _s been said first, I_ _'_ _ll start. Name_ _'_ _s Naruto Uzumaki. You two?_ _"_

"… _Emerald Sustrai._ _"_

" _Mercury Black._ _"_

" _Nice to meetcha both._ _"_ _Naruto said happily._ _"_ _Now what do you say we beat these guys until they_ _'_ _re black and blue?_ _"_

"His luck is all over the place." She said. "When it comes to money, he's landed some jackpots. When it comes to trouble, he attracts it. When it comes to girls…" Her voice trailed off. She did not want to talk about that. Mercury saw the downtrodden look on Emerald's face, and decided not to say anything.

"I guess his luck _is_ all over the place." He mused. "But then again, there must be a balance to his luck. Can't have everything right?"

"Right." She said softly.

Mercury closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. His speculations were too much to process even if he did say it. He looked to the shattered moon, and admired the floating rocks that appeared as if they were peeling away. The sight cleared his mind. When he looked down… "W-What?"

"What's wrong, Mercury?"

* * *

"Why am I letting you drag me to a clothing store, I will never know." Naruto said monotonously. "Seriously, I can handle winging it, Schnee. Besides, it's more-"

"Don't you dare say it, Uzumaki!" She interrupted while she pulled on the Faunus's left arm. "I will _not_ have my teammate have a date with a man that looks like a bum!" She snarled at Naruto's easygoing nature about a date -his first date. He needed to be presentable, but what was he going to do? Wing it and look casual in torn up or well-used clothing. Yang deserved better. So Weiss took it upon herself to drag Naruto out to Vale proper to get him a set of new clothes. She told her team that she would be shopping, and that she would be fine alone. Her half-truth got her this: A half-hearted young man who doesn't see the importance of a first date.

"I don't look _that_ bad." Naruto grumbled.

"When's the last time you bought any _new_ clothes?"

Naruto wondered about that. "Hm…two or three years give or take? I've hardly grown at all."

Weiss's grip became tighter. She actually heard Naruto restrain a grunt of pain when her hand closed like a vice. She smirked. "Then it's off to a clothes store!" Naruto dragged his heel into the ground as best as he could without cracking the surface. As much as he denied going to a clothing store, Weiss was pretty adamant about appearances. He wanted to get away, but that meant calling upon her wrath.

He did not want female fury aimed at him.

But he sure as hell ain't gonna go quietly. "No~ It's too fancy!" He whined. He gave light tugs of 'resistance' that amounted to nothing more than annoyance. "I don't want your snobbery to rub off on me and-"

" _ **SHUT IT!**_ "

* * *

Mercury's eyes shone. "He's-"

Emerald glared. "He's-"

"-Such a smooth operator!"

"-Friends with a Schnee?!"

The two faced each other. A great pause became of what the other said moments before. Mercury wasn't fazed by Emerald's anger aimed at him.

"What?" He asked innocently. "Got a problem with what I said? It's not like I shouted the end of the world."

"Your priorities are skewed." Emerald said as she pointed a finger at Mercury's forehead. "Get your head out of the gutter, Merc."

"But I speak the truth, Em." Mercury said confidently. "Did you not see what I saw? I saw Naruto get dragged by a _Schnee_." Emerald didn't see the point. "Let me rephrase it then. Naruto, who despises Eis Schnee, let the man's daughter drag him to a clothing store." Emerald still didn't see it. Mercury growled. "The only way Naruto would let a daughter of that Schnee grab him is if he's friends with that Schnee, and that the Schnee holding onto him knows he's a Faunus." Emerald wanted to say something. "Plus he's being dragged to a clothing store, so it's basically a date. So yeah…smooth operator."

"…No words to say how stupid that sounds."

The young man shrugged his shoulders. "Meh. Like you even care about what I say most of the time." He muttered. His lowered spirit shone when an idea lit up inside his head. "You wanna spy on them?"

"No. It's already late. I'm heading back." She announced while she stood up from the bench. She headed for the park exit, and asked, "You coming?" without looking behind her.

In the distance, Weiss yelled, " **WE WILL NOT RETURN TO BEACON UNTIL YOU FIND A SUITABLE SET TO WEAR FOR TOMORROW!** "

Mercury smiled as he walked side by side with Emerald. "So he gets dragged to a not-date, and has an actual date with someone else tomorrow…"

"Shut it."

"He _really_ is a smooth operator!"

Emerald groaned. ' _I hope you_ _'_ _re doing well on your end, Naruto._ '

* * *

"Have you searched through the compendium?" Ozpin asked his colleagues. "Is there _anything_ that can point us to the cause of Amber's wound?" It didn't make sense why she still had that scar. Her Aura still worked. She had enough to heal whatever damage had been done. Yet years…years after her wound still did not heal. Something bypassed her Aura. But what?

"Remnant is a large place." Emiya spoke. "If you think that her wound was caused by a Grimm, chances are is that it's a new or undiscovered one. It's probably why this happened in the first place." Ozpin wanted to hear more for what the Cleaner had to say. "'Knowledge is power' as they say. Exploitation is probably the Queen's strategy. Even you must know that, Ozpin."

Ozpin leaned on his cane. "I do." He answered. "Like Qrow said, she was ambushed. Three unknowns fighting one is…" He breathed deeply. "Anonymity was no doubt the main factor of Amber's defeat."

"I hear that the one in red fought using two short swords that doubled as a bow."

"Sounds a lot like you, Archer."

The two men faced the source of the voice.

" _Tempesta_ _…_ "

Kushina smirked. "How do you do, Mr-I-am-the-bone-of-my-sword?"

"How did you get in here?" Ozpin asked.

"Straight to the point…" She commented, but never went anywhere with it. "Let's be honest here…whatever I say will feel cliché." She said bluntly. "But regardless, I'm here because of a question."

"You broke into a secure area silently to _ask_ a question?" The janitor asked with mild hostility in his words. His Aura stirred. Yes, he possessed an unlocked Aura. He blatantly lied to Naruto about it. "What is your oh so important question, _Tempesta_? If I don't see how important the question is…" Swords of various shapes, sizes, types, and make materialized behind the man. "You will be skewered for trespassing."

"I've been looking for the boy. He's nowhere to be found on campus. Where is he?"

 _ **And that**_ _ **'**_ _ **s it for now.**_ _**Sorry for once again delaying that date. I had to just do some dumping at the moment. You jokesters who thought the janitors are badasses have influenced the world building. And now what you get is my interpretation of the Brotherhood of the Seasons because of it. Even though they are there, they will only be mentions. Though this chapter needed a representative for that particular section of the Brotherhood so...yeah.**_

 _ **And now you get to see the villains too. I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m sure you**_ _ **'**_ _ **re smart enough to see what I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m implying with the Maiden**_ _ **'**_ _ **s power. And**_ _ **…**_ _ **if you look closely enough, you may see what I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m hinting for the Grimm. I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m not well versed in being subtle for evil plot lines, so digging into it might not be too tasking. Heck, I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m even pointing it out for you to look at.**_

 _ **Now at this point, I know that know what I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m planning for Emerald and Mercury, potentially Ruby and Adam too. Like I said, I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m not subtle.**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	17. A Simple Date

_**Well...that latest episode hurt my feels. I hope this is lighthearted enough to alleviate some pain. This is the day we**_ _ **'**_ _ **ve been waiting for. Nah, not really. Hope you enjoy.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 15: A Simple Date

Weiss happily ate her breakfast with her team and team JNPR beside her. The aforementioned before except Weiss wondered what got the girl in white so chipper. Her rare choice of breakfast, pancakes, was delicately placed in her mouth. The girl savored the syrup along with the food so much that the others thought she sparkled.

"Um…Weiss?" Ruby asked meekly in order to not ruin her pleasant mood. "What's got you so happy today? Is it those outfits you bought last night, or is it something else?" Weiss was too far into her happy place to hear Ruby's words. Ruby tried again with a more forceful voice. "Weiss. Weiss!"

The Schnee's eyes snapped open. "Huh? Oh, Ruby did you say something?"

"I'm asking why you're so happy this morning." Ruby answered.

"Yeah, Weiss, what's got you so chill for the moment?" Yang barged into the conversation. She too was curious. Weiss wasn't the type of person to act on impulse. She went on to Vale without prior plans. Suspicious. The rumor mill spun over the morn hours. Apparently… Yang didn't want to believe it, but she may as well ask. "Was having a companion to your little shopping spree that fun?"

Weiss sat ramrod straight at the question. Her movements became robotic. "W-What could you be talking about, Yang? I-I was alone." Her reply didn't sound convincing at all. Everyone at the table caught on to her lie, and didn't seem amused by it. Though they were surprised that something flustered the Ice Queen. "I was alone the whole time during my time shopping in Vale's shopping district! I-"

The news on the television suddenly became prominent as someone turned up the volume on it. The sudden noise interrupted Weiss's lies. " _Well well well~ Look at what_ I _have for a_ SCOOP _! This is Macky Bard speaking. Late last night, passing amateur photographers caught the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, Weiss Schnee, who is currently attending Beacon Academy, heading out to downtown Vale. What_ _'_ _s so special about this news? Well_ _…_ _it seems the secluded and cold princess of Atlas has been charmed by none other than a Pauper!_ " Eyes immediately set themselves on the young woman in like lightning, photos of Weiss and Naruto stuck at the screen. The more embarrassing part for the Schnee was the fact that the most emphasized image was the one where she dragged Naruto the the clothing store, and the other was when he offered her a cone of mint chip ice cream. Add insult to injury, the news showed her that she spilled some of that same ice cream on her sleeves, to which Naruto quickly remedied the situation by selflessly giving away his orange crop jacket to Weiss. Her face could not remain calm since her mind replayed the scene.

" _Well that_ _'_ _s an ugly stain to have on your jacket._ _"_ _Naruto commented. He swiftly removed his own._ _"_ _Take yours off, and put mine on._ _"_ _He ordered. Weiss looked at the jacket, then to the young man, whose firm, athletic body sparkled under the amber light of sunset._ _"_ _Sure it_ _'_ _s a bit larger than yours, and_ _…_ _doesn_ _'_ _t match your outfit, but it_ _'_ _s better than showing off your body to_ nasty _people that wander at this hour._ _"_

 _Weiss, thankful for the gesture, refused._ _"_ _I can_ _'_ _t do that! It_ _'_ _s your own! I-_ _"_ _The jacket was shoved onto her lap._

" _Wear it. I won_ _'_ _t be a person that doesn_ _'_ _t pay the kindness of others._ _"_ _Naruto said._ _"_ _Not even to those I_ _'_ _ve disliked before._ _"_ _He muttered. Weiss wanted to hear what he said, but was startled when he perked up._ _"_ _But in this case, seeing you flustered is refreshing. I_ _'_ _d like to see more of this side of you, Weiss. You look more beautiful that way. Though a smile would be better. Makes you look more like a respectable princess if you did._ _"_ _He said, and ended the conversation with a grin._

" _Just who is he? Where is he from? Sources keep coming, and we aren_ _'_ _t sure which is true. But one thing_ _'_ _s for sure: This young man works at Beacon! This is Macky Bard signing off!_ " The students were absolutely silent. There was only one janitor that was around their age. Only one with the features presented in the photos. A flood of despair rushed out, and it originated from broken males who wished to court the Schnee. Females weren't so quick to dismiss Naruto now since the pictures showed a more gentle and compassionate side to him than what he posed as usually. Still, some refused to date him because of his revealed Faunus blood.

Yang looked back at her teammate in white. "Well it looks like you've gotten a head start, Ice Queen." Yang said with a smirk. "Or is it Snow Angel? I think the second since the pictures showed how quick he melted your heart right there." She inspected one of the pictures, and pointed to one. "There! That one!" She said. "You can actually pinpoint the second Weiss started to blush!" Though deep inside, Yang was annoyed that Weiss stole the lead from under her nose. She didn't expect competition from her. The old adage of 'expect the unexpected' came true.

Weiss herself refused to accept Yang's teasing remarks, and insisted that there's nothing between her and Naruto. "You should be focusing on your date later!" Weiss said. "I didn't waste my night finding him an outfit so you could have a bum for a date!"

Jaune looked down. A janitor- no, a friend beat him to the punch; however there was still a chance. ' _Just what did I do wrong?_ ' He asked himself. ' _What method did he use to get Weiss to go with him?_ ' He wanted to know how to have that Warrior Angel's heart. Pyrrha placed a reassuring hand on her leader's shoulder without understanding the thoughts that ran in his mind. He really needed to know a way to get Weiss to notice him. He could ask Naruto later for details.

* * *

Meanwhile, Naruto looked unimpressed. People on the news were taking it way out of line. Since when did gossip mean that they could butt into peoples lives and search every nook and cranny of it? "Something tells me that today's date won't be simple." He said to himself as he cleaned the second floor male restroom. "Meh. I can deal with it on the way."

* * *

Eis Schnee watched the television as pictures of his youngest daughter with another man, a Faunus, made celebrity headlines. The man knew the one in the pictures was a Faunus; he had experience deciphering which is real or fake when it comes to features like those. The pictures were from last night, and the unsavory part about the scene was that Weiss was more passionate about the outing than the Faunus was. Moreover, they showed her picking out expensive, brand-name luxuries to that trash to wear. And the worst part of it all? The clothes were meant to make the Faunus presentable for Weiss's teammate instead of Weiss herself for a date. Today.

He pulled out a phone, and dialed a number. The phone rang several times. With each ring, the Schnee felt anxious. It was rare to call her bodyguard. And much like his name, his temper is explosive if not quelled properly. Only Weiss had such skill with him.

" _What do I owe to have you summon me today, Mister Schnee?_ " Young, calm, yet irritated words came from the phone. " _I have a target to be looking for right about now._ "

The man leaned back on his chair when he heard that. "I see you've seen the news today." He remarked. "You know what to do right?"

" _Eliminate the target._ " The voice answered before ending the call.

Eis Schnee looked over the pictures once more. Something in his soul told him that this Faunus was important not because he was close to his daughter, but because of something else. The Schnee observed the Faunus's features with muttered words. "Blonde hair, untamed like a lion's mane. Blue eyes that blend in with the sky. A smile like his." The man scowled at the implications. "Impossible. He would have told me if he had an heir."

 _"Eis! Eis!"_

 _An eight-year-old Eis turned around at the one who called to him."What?" A snowball promptly smacked his face. The sudden impact surprised the boy. He fell backwards into meter tall pile of snow the two were on._

 _"Gotcha!"_

 _Eis bolted out of the snow, and fumed at the one who attacked him. "Minato! That was uncalled for!" The boy, with untamed, blond hair that spiked outwards like a mane, smiled from ear to ear._

 _"The moment you have snow, you better be ready for war." Minato said with a small grin. "Or are you so slow to pick up my movements?" He teased._

 _Eis couldn't stand it. His hands grabbed snow. "'A war,' you say?" He repeated evilly. His arms swung out like propellers, "Then a war it shall be!" Snowballs were thrown back and forth with seemingly no end. The laughter of the two rang out for half an hour during their snowball war's duration._

 _"Well that was fun, right?" Minato asked his friend. Eis wordlessly nodded beside him. Both took in the silence's embrace, and observed the sky. The blond became serious for a moment. "Say_ _…_ _Eis? That lady_ _…_ _she's going to adopt you, right?" The boy in question kept silent. Despite the lack of an answer, that silence was exactly what gave it away. "Eis_ _…_ _we'll meet again soon. As teens, men, or old men, I promise you we'll meet again."_

 _Eis kept silent for a few more minutes. It warmed his heart to know that his childhood friend from the White Fang thought of him so dearly. He decided he would fulfill that promise. Eis spoke softly. "But if we meet as men, as fathers, I'll show you my children, and show how Faunus can be great friends to be with." He declared._

 _"Me too. I want to see humans and Faunus live in peace. I'll show him or her that not all humans are bad." Minato happily proclaimed._

Eis looked elsewhere on the blond's person. He closely inspected one picture, the one where Weiss dragged the young man. Instead of the face, Eis watched the right hand. ' _He said he would gain his father's ring when he came of age. If he hid his son from me, then_ _…_ _Minato knew he would die soon. But why would he hide his child? He knew he could trust me with him. Did he predict the violent regime of the White Fang_ _?_ ' He zoomed in on Naruto's right hand, and saw a silver chain that connected two rings on the middle and pinky finger. A blue crystal shone on the ring placed on the middle finger. ' _Cielo Fiamma!_ ' He bolted out of his chair. Immediately, he dialed the number again. He unleashed the Hellhound that kept his daughter safe on his old friend's son; he had to rectify the situation before things got out of hand!

" _The number you_ _'_ _ve called is unavailable. Call me later. Leave your voicemail at the beep._ "

Eis slammed a fist on his desk. "Just my luck that he turns off his phone. I hope that boy doesn't cause even more trouble."

* * *

Naruto looked at his new clothes, handpicked and paid for by Weiss. They were functional for both style and combat at least. While he preferred his old outfit, this one just might be better. For a top, he wore a black tee. Over it, an orange, hooded vest with a high collar fit snugly around his form. Black seams outlined the vest like the perimeter of some area. For pants, Weiss gave him black cargo pants with orange zippers that designated where the extra pockets were. On the belt of his pants, he wore one of those waist capes that seemed to be a trend with some fighters. His was obviously in orange, and it bore the image of a lion with its mane on fire. On the back of that cape, a pair of butterfly knives were stored in separate pouches. For footwear, he chose to don a pair of steel-toe combat shoes with thick treads that one would see on boots for extra traction. Stylish and simple. He preferred the second one over the first, but he thought of the first one as a bonus.

"I guess that girl can be helpful in some ways." Naruto said to himself, admiring Weiss's choice in clothing. "Sage said I'm always awkward when it came to style." The mention of her name silenced him. He walked over to his desk, and opened a drawer, where a small piece of emerald was tied to a chain. ' _If only it had been you_ _…_ ' It was no secret from Lupa that he adored Sage. The emerald he held onto was her last gift to him.

" _Here._ _"_ _Sage placed the emerald on his palm._ _"_ _I found it in the alley next to Ms. Cleo_ _'_ _s jewel store._ _"_ _Naruto took the jewel, and looked at it._ _"_ _Happy birthday, Naruto._ _"_ _She said as she hugged him._

" _It_ _'_ _s pretty._ _"_ _He said softly._ _"_ _Thank you, Sage. I_ _'_ _ll keep it for as long as I live._ _"_

"My neck was pretty small back them that it was a necklace. Maybe it'll look good as a bracelet." He said to himself. The chain was long enough that it was loose on the wrist. He twisted the chain to make an eight, and looped it around his left wrist for a secure fit. "Perfect." He gleefully remarked. "I hope you're watching, Sage. Bless me with a normal date, please?" He prayed.

He made his way to team RWBY's dorm, and mentally prepared himself. He may not looked like he was nervous on the outside, but on the inside, it was a total mess. He began having second doubts about this. Some part of his mind said that it's all a mistake. Another questioned what went through to lead to such a situation. A few thoughts were positive. One was about how he finally got to ask a girl out. The chaos in his mind became peaceful when his mind went back to what Lupa said.

" _No girl likes being led on._ _"_

With newfound courage, Naruto knocked on the door three times. "Yang? It's Naruto. Are you ready?" The door opened.

Instantly, Naruto met face to face with Yang and her new outfit. Gone was the brown vest, gold top, and black shorts. Now she wore a halfway zipped cream vest over a black shirt that went with the shape of her breasts and exposed cleavage. The outermost layer is a strangely cut, high-collar, leather crop jacket with gold cuffs on the sleeves, and emphasis on exposing her breasts. Again. Just above the cleavage was a necklace with a purple gem stuck inside a pendant with two extrusions at the side that looked like tiny wings.

Now Naruto didn't hate the view; he's a hormonal teenage boy. It's just that the sight of her outfit -the top half- riled up his blood as a young man. ' _No Junior, I did not call for you. Stand down._ ' Yes, he was physically attracted to Yang. Likewise, Yang was physically attracted to him. He could see it in her facial expressions as she too observed his appearance.

Continuing downward, a loose belt with gold accents wrapped around her hips. A purple cloth with lilac lace hung from her left hip. Underneath, her black skirt absolutely failed the finger-length test. Vertical belted straps went down her thighs, and connected to her thigh-high stockings that bore her emblem in gold. As added aesthetics, four pyramid studs were placed above the knee. Her black boots had a series of straps that went across, and behind them were a pair of white ribbons, one on each boot, tied into a bow. It looked appropriate for someone like Yang: simple enough to wear for both public and combat scenarios, stylish enough to show off her party-girl qualities, and finally…enticing like she always is.

Despite that, he chose a simple word to show his appreciation. " _Beautiful_ _…_ " He barely mouthed out. He couldn't say it because Yang was breathtaking in her own special way. Yang easily found out what he mouthed out.

"Thanks for the compliment, Firecracker!" She said as she ended her sentence with a grin. " _Schnee_ knew how to present you all right. You look like you could be a respectable Huntsman now!"

Naruto looked away. "W-What? Stop joking. I-You know to not joke about things like that, Yang." He whined. "It's already embarrassing that I'm sometimes the talk of the school. I even hear that there's rumors about me being some type of _undercover_ Huntsman who graduated when I was fourteen or something." He waved off the rumor like a fly in front of his face. It looked _slightly_ amusing "I just want to be considered normal, okay? Just…let it go for once? Please?" He begged.

"Aww… Firecracker got no more fuse to burn?" She teased while she jabbed a finger at Naruto's chest. "Sad. Don't worry. You got me _dragon_ you all the way to Vale to light up your day!"

Yang felt a foot on her back push her out the door, and into Naruto's arms. "Stop flirting and get out!" Weiss shouted from behind just before she closed the door.

Naruto held onto Yang's shoulder and lower back when he caught her. Yang herself positioned her hands on his chest. It took a second to process the situation, and when they did, Yang took the first strike. "Getting handsy, are we?" She teased. "I don't mind, but didn't you say this was to give me the idea that you're not leading me on?" To add pressure and humor, she pressed her chest on his. Naruto, unused to the close proximity of the opposite gender and constant flirting, fumbled on his words.

"O-Oh come on!" He whimpered. "Stop with these attacks, Yang! It was Weiss's fault!"

The young woman chuckled at the reaction. "Fine. Fine. C'mon, let's head out." The two left the doorway, and proceeded to leave the building. However, behind closed doors, Team RWB(Y) and JN(P)R were in the midst of a plan. A plan to spy on them!

* * *

Ozpin watched Naruto and Yang head to the landing pads to grab a ride from one of the Academy's Bullheads. "We can't stop it now…" Ozpin muttered. "After this, he will be exposed."

"Kushina says she has a plan." Glynda spoke.

"And what would that be?"

"She and her daughter will act as decoys while actually enjoying some time together." The blonde woman replied. Ozpin understood. The pair of redheads planned to act as the bigger prey for the jaws of the Media while Naruto and Yang got their date. "That being said-"

"-There is a chance it will fail." Ozpin finished. He stood up from his seat. "The Media loves to gobble up teenage romance like a drug. Loathe am I to say that I cannot protect him once he leaves the vicinity of Beacon."

* * *

Naruto and Yang sat silently in the Bullhead. The sexual tension between them caused by Yang's intimate act prevented them from starting up small talk. Sure, Yang could tease him all day long, but that didn't mean anything if she couldn't make him act serious around her. In both their minds they thought that perhaps this date went on a little too fast. Though in Yang's perspective, this was what she needed to get herself on Naruto's radar as potential interest. Yang knew what she had was a crush; this would gauge how interested she was in Naruto.

"So what do you have planned for our date, Firecracker?"

Naruto raised a finger as he started to say, "That…" Yang leaned in close since she was curious of what he planned. "…is a secret." The young woman punched Naruto's right arm in frustration. She had been played by something so simple!

But… she had ammo on her end. "Is that guy language for 'winging it'?" Naruto froze up to the point Yang actually thought he crystallized internally. ' _Bingo._ ' The speculation was so spot on that she couldn't help but snicker a little at Naruto's reaction. "How about some lunch to start off? Will that be okay?" She asked.

Naruto recovered. The topic of lunch made Naruto's stomach growl stealthily. "If it's lunch, then will a ramen stand do? A Simple Wok?"

Yang's eyes glowed with happiness. "Are you kidding me?!" She asked incredulously whilst she leaned closer. Naruto tried his best not to push away, but Yang was quite touchy feely. Yang had to explain her excitement. "A Simple Wok is my favorite ramen stand ever since I came to Vale for vacations when I was little! It's my go to place to eat when I was at Signal too! It's been a really long time since I've been there; I can't wait!" She returned to proper seating, yet her giddy face showed how happy she was that they would go to her favorite ramen stand.

' _Somehow_ _…_ _this is going smoothly, but I don't want to jinx it._ ' Naruto thought. "Well I'm glad you'll enjoy the start of the date." He said to his date. "How about after that, we go to the pier?" Naruto suggested. "The boardwalk's seaside theme park should have something fun for us to do, right?"

"Sure, I don't mind." Yang answered. "I wanna go on one of the coasters! It's been a while since I've gotten a thrill from something that isn't about fighting." She explained. Naruto understood. Yang looked like the thrill-seeker type of girl with boundless energy that searched on for the next thing that will interest her.

Naruto's head lit up with an idea. He was sure Yang wasn't the girly-girl type, nor was she the type that seemed _high-maintenance_. Maybe… "And after that, we can go to the nearby arcade for some casual and competitive games. What do you say?"

The idea of competition attracted Yang like a moth to a flame. "Like what competitive games?" She asked with simple curiosity.

"Arcade fighters, racers, DDR, shooters. Basically anything you want to play, I guess…" Naruto said with slight indifference. He used to enjoy going to arcades, but ever since he was focused on his jobs, he was sure to be rusty with a few of his favorites. ' _It might be fun to reclaim the local top rank for each of those games. It may be also fun to see the arcade's current rankers for each of those games._ ' His wandering thoughts on the arcades were interrupted with Yang's sudden flare of energy. Her eyes gloved red. Naruto wasn't sure whether it was out of rage or competition, but it was a refreshing sight to see Yang fired up. "I'll take that as a yes then."

Something deep inside Naruto told him that he did not want to see Yang exhibit any other emotions except the positive ones. It felt like a travesty to see her upset or depressed. Like a sun, she had to stay bright. She had to burn bright eternally. He vowed to keep it that way for as long as possible.

When the Bullhead landed, Naruto took a minute or two to regain his bearings. It had been months since he headed to Vale. Everything was provided by the school. Food, utilities, laundry, and other essentials were there. There was no reason to leave the Academy. His bi-weekly checks were mailed to Lupa for her to sort out. Yesterday's visit was at night; he could barely remember the way back to the port that Beacon students used.

"You lost?" Yang asked.

"Nah. It's just been a while since I've been to Vale." Naruto answered. "C'mon." He beckoned as he headed west towards the general area of Vale central park. If he could find that, then it would be simple to find it. "A Simple Wok, here we come!"

It took almost an hour to find the place, but they eventually got there. On the way, the two window shopped. Yang looked at boutiques and weapon stores. Naruto looked at home improvement and appliances stores. The former focused on her future career as a Huntress while the latter focused on how to improve the lives of the orphans. Still, they didn't exclusively focus on those places. The two strayed from their destination quite a few times when they passed bakeries and restaurants on the way. Naruto decided it might be nice to buy some cookies for Yang's team to share. Yang didn't object to the idea, so that was a plus in Naruto's head.

When they arrived at the place they needed to be, the two immediately rushed to their seats. The two eager blondes grinned, and chanted together, "Hey, old man! The usual please!"

"Hm? What's this? Two of my favorites coming together? Must be my lucky day." An old man muttered from behind the curtains that led to the kitchen. "Motormouth and Fireball?" He asked. Naruto and Yang respectively pouted at the names. An eyeball peeked through the curtains. "Usual eh? Just to be clear, Motormouth. You want the challenge?"

Naruto grinned from ear to ear. "As always!" He said confidently. "I'll beat it again and again!"

Yang looked at the menu. Off to the side was the 'Maelstrom challenge'. How she hated that challenge. Ever since she had eaten here, she made it her goal to succeed that challenge at least once in her lifetime. She starved herself for a whole day just to digest the whole menu, the challenge, but she still failed to beat it. Meanwhile her date beat the challenge several times? What monster stomach did he have?!

"Yeah, yeah… You're bad for business, kid. At least be half full or something." The old man retreated into the kitchen.

"You know even if I'm half full that I can beat that stupid challenge of yours!" Naruto shouted back. He crossed his arms in satisfaction. Beacon's ramen was fine and all, but nothing could beat A Simple Wok's ramen!

Sometime later, the conveyor belt behind the counter whirred to life. Yang's bowl of Katakana ramen came first, and stopped just in front of her. "Oh! I miss this serving speed~ Old man, I'm giving you a long-overdue tip for your services!"

"Then let your date handle the payment!" The old man said from the kitchen. The two gawked at the man's blunt words. They questioned him on how he knew that. The old man exited the kitchen. "It's obvious why two of my best customers are here together." The two didn't seem satisfied by that answer. The old man handed the two their chopsticks wrapped by tissues. Yang unfolded hers first, and saw something written on the tissue.

 _Lass, you have a great guy next to you. Don_ _'_ _t let him get away._

She looked up, and saw the man give her a thumbs up. "Happy eating, you two." He said as he returned to the kitchen to make the rest of Naruto's food.

Naruto clapped his hands together for a short prayer before he dug into his first bowl. Yang followed his example, and ate as well. Their first bite was that of heaven. They savored the taste. By the second and subsequent mouthfuls, they wolfed down their bowls. Yang, despite her eagerness to win the challenge of the ramen stand, could never hope to beat it. With her pace to finish one bowl, she would have been there by the next day, and absolutely unable to more because she exploded her stomach. Naruto ate more bowlfuls of ramen in the time Yang got halfway to her bowl. To his right, a growing stack was carried off into the kitchen to be cleaned.

Half an hour later, they finished their meals with full satisfaction. The two happily patted their stomachs for such a great meal. "Ah~ That certainly hit the spot. Hey, Firecracker, what's your stomach made out of? Mine can't handle the same punishment as you do!" Yang was by far impressed instead of disgusted. If it was anyone else, the girl would shy away from his freakish addiction to ramen. Yang chalked it up to one of his unknown eccentricities, and did not think of it any further. She wanted to see what Naruto was like; she didn't need to vocalize her judgements.

"It's…like I have nine stomachs for…ramen!" Naruto replied with a little struggle to say the words. He covered his mouth with a fist as if to stave off a burp. He failed. Thankfully, it wasn't a loud and obnoxious one. Instead, a steady stream of steam escaped his lips as if his soul started to escape. Yang's eyes became wide as dinner plates. All of a sudden, Naruto's condition became better. "Ah…all better." He muttered.

"T-The heck was that?!" Yang blurted out with surprise evident in her voice.

"Apparently, I have a ridiculous metabolism when it comes to ramen." Naruto answered. Yang wanted him to elaborate, and so he did. "The soup just becomes steam in my stomach, and the noodles just melt away. These things are just _victims_ to my stomach acid!" He said without shame.

"You're the ramen addict version of Ruby."

"You don't stop her when she has her binges." Naruto retorted. "Some sister you are."

Yang frowned at the retort. "Hey, I resent that comment. I'm a great sister. I made sure she has a good moral compass, knows how to judge a person, manners, and proper attitude." She said with a smile.

Naruto let the words sink in. The way Yang said it so casually unnerved him. ' _That_ _'_ _s what a parent should teach his or her child_ _…_ ' He said to himself. "That…" He wanted to say it. He couldn't say it. If his intuition was right, Yang became a mother figure for Ruby. He overheard them talk about their dad, but never a mom. If Yang did do as he imagined, then that meant she gave up her childhood to make Ruby the way she is. It would be the only reason why Yang listed off those things as qualities as things she taught Ruby. Sisters weren't meant to teach basic social functions. Sisters were meant to bond, have fun, have tiny rivalries or something.

It made Naruto want to do more for Yang. Within reason. But what could he do? They were only acquaintances on a date. He hardly knew a thing about her. He shook his head. That excuse was weak; he knew it was weak. But damn his head for the inability to think up _something_ to make her appreciate her faded childhood, or at least lose some of the worries regarding the safety of Ruby.

Naruto realized he may have made a strange expression when Yang looked at him curiously. "Hm? Something you wanna say?" Yang asked.

Naruto did his best to recover. He blinked several times and thought up something to say. "I was just about to say that I'm kinda like you, I guess." Naruto convincingly lied through his teeth. Lupa raised them, not him. Sure he made corrections to attitudes, but that's because he was being responsible as an elder 'sibling' to the young ones. He thought he took care of them pretty well as a sibling. "I make it my mission to make those little rascals in the orphanage to act responsibly so that they don't get in trouble in the future. If necessary, I protect them like the older brother I am. Though for tiny things, if they screw up," He laughed at the thought. His fingers twitched as he held his hands for Yang to see. "I make sure they know that they get my tickle fingers for disobeying me." He did his best impression of a mischievous person, and managed to make Yang laugh from it.

"Some mission, Huntsman Uzumaki." Yang joked. "Nice to know you're responsible enough to look after your 'siblings'.

"Hey! I told you to stop joking about that. I'm just a janitor, nothing more or less." He said with finality. He didn't feel the need to respond to the sibling comment since he knew he did a good job.

"Nope!" Naruto looked at the female blonde who grinned at him. "You are a kickass janitor that has the potential to get a job as a Huntsman!" Naruto lowered his head. Yang was dead set that he could be a Huntsman.

"Right…" He wasn't convinced. Under more favorable circumstances, Naruto would no doubt boast about his skill like a child. However, he knew that he was weak. Incomplete. Something in the back of his head forced him to stay humble. Like a broken record, he followed one simple idea.

Someone or something was harder, better, faster, stronger.

"How much, old man?" Naruto asked.

"Twenty-five lien and forty-seven cents." Naruto handed the owner two twenty lien bills, and said, "Keep the change. Consider it a tip from both us troublemakers." He stood up from his chair, and left the ramen stand. "Later, old man! C'mon, Yang." He called from behind the stand's now lowered curtains.

"H-Hey! Wait up!"

* * *

Ruby watched closely from the alley closest and in front of the stand. She couldn't see their faces due to the privacy the curtains gave, but with Weiss's secret equipment for espionage, her team and team JN(P)R could listen in on the conversation.

Weiss brought up Yang's comment about how she acted in regards to treating Ruby like a sister. "I know Yang could be a bit motherly when it comes to you, Ruby, but I didn't think she would be _that_ motherly."

"Yeah, it irks me too at times." Ruby admitted, "But, hey, she was good at it for the most part." She didn't specify which role Yang took in order for her team to speculate the answer for themselves. "Oh, they're leaving." The girl in red said randomly. "Quick! We gotta find out where they're going next!" And so, the rose blurred from existence.

"I have a feeling… but I won't speak of it any further." Blake muttered beside Weiss's ear. "I'll look out from above." She said as she climbed up a nearby ladder.

Jaune had a notebook full of things Naruto did that Yang did not audibly disliked. For the most part, all Jaune could tell from his notes were that he should be himself with confidence in himself. And that stickman sam should not be able to win against the impregnable door of the solid black line. ' _Could I have been thinking about confidence the wrong way?_ ' He thought to himself. The way he did it, Jaune knew it was unnatural. It was unappealing at times too. Yet he kept doing it because he thought it was the way to go. From what he heard, Naruto was all casual with his dialogue, but he did have that slight change in the degree of seriousness at times.

Nora's stomach rumbled. Everyone in the alleyway stared at her. She tapped her left wrist as if she had a watch. "Lunch time." She explained with no shame. She smiled at her next words. "I want pancakes."

Ren sighed. "I'll take her to a pancake restaurant, you guys go ahead." At those words, Nora dashed out of the alleyway, and left Ren and the others in the dust. "Great…now I'll never find her." He took a deep breath, and hoped to follow the chaos that Nora left.

The two left, Jaune and Weiss, stared uncomfortably at each other. "So…"

"As long as you don't try to flirt with me, you're okay to be near me, but _not_ next to me." Weiss snapped. "Understood?" Jaune nodded in defeat.

* * *

Emerald and Mercury enjoyed sandwiches by the ocean. Nothing much was in the works so Cinder gave everyone a time off so to speak. The two friends decided a little time at the boardwalk in Vale would do nicely since summer was on the verge of ending. Mercury had the idle thought, "Where do you think he is right now?"

Emerald took a bite of her sandwich. Her reply was a little late, but nonetheless she said it, "Probably on some cushy, four star restaurant." She said sassily. "What's it to you? Jealous he's got a girl before you?" She asked with a little tease.

The young man in black watched the ocean's horizon. He was indeed jealous. But what was he jealous of? He wasn't sure. All he knew was that watching Emerald's various reactions were great. "I've got a girl right here." He said nonchalantly. "Stunner too."

Emerald choked on air. She knew Mercury had a thing for flirting as a joke. This had to be one of those times. "You're not getting in my pants, Merc." She snarled. "Flattery isn't going to get you anywhere with me." Mercury kept on biting his sandwich. He didn't seem to care about what he said. "Seriously, are you jealous?"

He shrugged. "Who knows. The inner mechanisms of my mind are an enigma." Mercury yawned out. The ocean breeze calmed him. His mind was refreshed. Small worries like jealousy were washed away. "I'm gonna head into the city. Probably going to restock on Gust Dust bullets." He turned to his partner in literal crime. "Wanna come?"

"I'll stay here." Emerald replied. "It's been a while since I've been to the beach."

Mercury watched Emerald's spaced out look. He wanted to change that, but what could he do? Emerald kept him an arm's length away most of the time. His attitude didn't help him either. With a inaudible sigh, he walked away. "Kay." And in a minute, he was gone.

Emerald placed her half-eaten sandwich on her plate. She closed her eyes; all other senses were shut out too. She went deep into her consciousness. No…into her soul.

Her soul was a lightning storm. Literally. Green bolts of lightning struck ground all around. The sight of it was like spectating a science show regarding the subject of electricity. Emerald could feel the power, but never touch it. She believed if she did, memories best left forgotten would arise. In fact, she loathed the day she knew of this…thing in her soul. Yet she couldn't deny it was a part of her. She knew what she had was special. From the stories the White Fang told her, those with lightning are said to protect by using their body as a shield. She wasn't the most durable of fighters, but she thought of herself as willful. With Cinder's suspicions against her and Mercury, she was prepared for a betrayal. But it was worth it in her mind. She would do anything to keep Naruto safe. Even literally use her body as a shield to protect Naruto.

She stepped back into reality, then finished her sandwich. Perhaps she needed a stroll through the boardwalk to ease her mind. Sad. Had she stayed a bit longer, she would have heard the voice of her friend.

* * *

"Woo! That coaster was awesome!"

"So awesome that your stomach couldn't handle it."

"Hey, at least I didn't vomit on someone like Jaune would have." Yang remarked.

"True." Naruto said. "At least we got on that coaster. Everything else is packed." He scratched his head, dissatisfied by the outcome of the second part to their date. The seaside theme park was just too much. A flood of people gathered around. Granted, he should have expected such a turnout; it was the weekend. "Sucks, but at least more time for the arcades. What do you want to play first?"

Yang wondered what to play. It had been a while since she had been in the arcade. She had fun with most competitive games the establishment had. "I'm feeling a DDR match with a classic would be a great way to start our multiple bouts."

"A classic?" Naruto asked. "What 'Love Shine'?" He joked. Oh he played DDR. Not religiously, but he still appreciated a great game. His feet were conditioned for instant change of direction because of some demands the game took to make a player lose rhythm. No one asked how he got his footwork; everyone assumed it was from training. Training had most of the contribution, but DDR honed his agility in tight spaces. 'Love Shine' was the first song he ever played and aced. Memories of helpless tumbling and slips due to overachieving stylishness rattled his head. He wasn't those lazy people that watched the screen and moved their foot at the right time like the Technicals, nor was he lax like the Freestylers. He was a technical player with the flare of a freestyler. Moreover, he was the type to practice at it, remember the placements, and _dance_ to it.

Not play, _dance._ It's a dance game after all.

"On expert!" Yang added.

In several places, several young men sensed a disturbance in the Funk. A redhead accompanied by another in a bowl cut turned their attention to the arcade building. A blond dork fumbled on his feet. A certain boot wearer's feet tingled with phantom taps to the floor. One with fuchsia eyes prayed to the heavens that Oum be with them, and that the best one win.

Naruto's smile disappeared. Expert mode… In Vale, that meant a duel, especially in a situation like Naruto and Yang's. He wasn't sure if the other continents had a similar ruleset, but here, it meant business. ' _This means_ War...' He snarled mentally. "Oh you're so on, Yang. Hope you don't break your ankles." He teased as he went ahead to the arcade building in a mad dash. Yang chased after him. The two blondes' eyes burned with the drive to win.

They got eighty tokens; more than enough to go through all the interesting games twice over. The two waded through children and teens enjoying the fighting game section, the die-hard racers in the racing section, and others playing the ticket games for a special prize. Finally, Naruto and Yang reached their destination, the elevated black stage. The screen up front greeted players with its name in neon colors along with a catchy song as background music. Naruto flipped a token over to Yang. She caught it, and moved on to the stage. Naruto took the right side of the stage. He held a challenging smirk, and Yang fired back with her own.

"Ready, Sunflower?" Naruto asked.

Yang rolled her eyes. "Not really an insulting nickname, but yeah, I'm ready. You?"

"Why would I insult an attractive young woman?" Naruto rhetorically asked. Yang smiled at the compliment. "Not my style to do that unless they deserve it." He said offhandedly. "Anyways, I'm ready too." He inserted his token at the same time Yang did. Without leaving the screen, he told Yang that she had the first pick. "'Ladies first' as they say. Pick a number."

"Okay. Thirty-eight!"

"Okay." Naruto scrolled down to the number. The title 'You get to Burning (para para mix)' was on the screen. Oddly enough, next to it was 'Love Shine'. "You sure this is the right one? I thought you wanted a classic."

Yang chuckled evilly. Her body language changed. "I do. But first, I want to test your skills against me with my best song. That, and I want to test your might in **_MORTAL FOOTBAT!_** " She shouted loud enough to echo. The whole arcade was silent.

"Wrong words, Yang..." Naruto muttered. "You've disturbed the Funk." He leaned back on the safety bars behind him. He recalled a memory; an idiot said the exact same words, and was utterly defeated. The idiot was him by the way.

Murmurs came alive as two individuals entered the arcade. "It's him! The Funk returns!" Two figures parted the sea of people in the arcade. A Raccoon Faunus in burgundy desert wear, and a human with a bowl cut in green spandex.

A young man with red hair came up to both the blondes. "Naruto. It's been a while. I see you've returned to the Funk side." He said with slight amusement. Naruto saluted the newcomer, and said nothing more. The newcomer turned to Yang. "And I see you've brought a partner. A casual." He commented. "The Funk is strong with this one. However..."

"Gaara...it's just a friendly competition with my date." Naruto said to the one named Gaara. His breath hitched when he realized the mistake he made. "W-What I mean is-"

Anger flooded the room. Naruto winced. Yang was oblivious. "Friendly competition?!" Gaara exclaimed. "Blasphemy. You disgrace the power of Funk!" Gaara shouted at Naruto.

"Gaara, it's most unyouthful to lash out. Calm yourself!" Gaara's company said. He was ultimately ignored.

Naruto sighed. He expected that kind of reaction. He slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Fine. DDR For Glory Extreme. One song, expert, no misses." Naruto said nonchalantly. "You up for that?" He asked in hopes of redirecting Gaara's attention to him. Gaara didn't take the bait immediately, so Naruto asked one more time. "C'mon, Gaara. I'm up here challenging you so that my date can save face in Vale's DDR community." The redhead crossed his arms. He was still indecisive. Naruto palmed his face. Yang placed a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Hey, you can't just barge in here, and dictate what we do! We were going to play for fun, but now..." Yang clenched her right hand into a fist. Now that DDR became unintentionally serious, the fun factor went out the door. She hoped she could salvage it by confronting the problem. Most of her mind said to blow up in the redhead's face. He had to ruin it by putting in unofficial rules to a game. If it's for competition sure she could agree to it, but he had no business in meddling. "Fight me!" She challenged Gaara.

Naruto looked surprised at his date's words. "Yang?!"

"Fine." Gaara walked up to the stage. He stared at the song choice, still the same as before. "I suppose this song will do." He faced Yang, and offered his right hand. "May the Funk be with you."

Yang, still angered by this turn of events, reluctantly took the hand, and shook it for sportsmanship's sake.

"Great..." Naruto muttered.

"I do apologize for this, Naruto."

"No need for that, Lee." Naruto said. With the crowd, Naruto stared at Yang about to do battle with the DDR King of Vale. He sighed in defeat. ' _What else could go wrong?_ ' He asked himself. ' _I turn out to be super important to some plot? It's likely that lightning would hit me before_ that _ever happens to be revealed as truth._ ' He shook his head. He needed to support Yang. The song was one of her best songs to perform. He held his hope on that advantage. "You can do it, Yang!" He cheered. Few among the crowds cheered on Yang, the underdog of the matchup.

A mustached, elderly referee, who wore a white shirt, black slacks, belt, and red bowtie stood in front of the DDR machine. He cleared his throat. Everyone went silent. The old man placed his hands behind his back, and used a voice unheard of from one of advanced age. "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to a DDR For Glory match! I declare this match a submission DDR match! On behalf of the DDR tournament federation, I will act as referee, me, Mr. Referee!" Yang cringed at the redundancy of the name, but did not shed any light on the matter; she had better things to focus on. Mr. Referee continued with his speech. "The rules are simple: Gain the best score, only have up to twenty misses throughout the song, and you are the winner! The loser then must give an item of value to the winner."

Yang didn't look for anything on her person. She was determined to win. She wasn't going to lose anything.

Mr. Referee did not hear any words from anyone, so he finished off. "Dancers, are you ready?" Yang and Gaara took positions on the pad. He raised his hand, then swung down, "REVOLUTIONIZE DANCE!" He signaled the start of the match. The audience cheered immediately, and drowned out the song. However...

Yang and Gaara weren't dancing.

Naruto palmed his face when he realized what was wrong.

"Sorry!" Yang apologized to the crowd for lost hype. "Didn't actually select the song..."

She chose the song, and a countdown came on the screen. Mr. Referee did not hear any words from anyone, so he restarted his final piece of scripted words. "Dancers, are you ready?" Yang and Gaara took positions on the pad once more. He raised his hand in timing of the countdown. When the countdown ended at the last second, he then swung down, "REVOLUTIONIZE DANCE!" He signaled the start of the match.

* * *

Yang outstretched her hand. "Great moves, Funky Raccoon." She said.

"Not too bad yourself, Dragon." Gaara accepted the hand. "Shame that you lost by ten points. By style alone, you win the Funk-off." He bowed to Yang. He returned to proper form a second later. "Though rules are rules. The victory is won through points, not style." He pulled out his left hand, where Yang's necklace was wrapped around his fingers. "Are you sure you don't want this back?"

Yang blew it off. "It's fine. If you have a special someone, you can give it to her as a present. I'm sure it'll make her day."

"If you insist." Gaara accepted the answer without any more resistance. "Have a nice evening you two." He walked away, but bumped into Naruto before successfully leaving the area.

"Likewise from me." Lee said with a bow before he dashed off to catch up with Gaara.

Naruto looked at his right pocket, where it felt heavier than normal. He looked at it contents since he was sure that it was empty. He pulled out a small note and a stack of Lien. He read the note to himself. ' _The necklace is worth at least 150 Lien. I'm sure you've got some money on you, so add on to what you have, and buy her a new necklace. See you around,_ Naruto.' Naruto returned the items to his pocket. He silently thanked the Raccoon for the act of kindness.

Yang walked up to Naruto, and set her head on his left shoulder. "I tried." She said with slight disappointment. Natural reaction since she lost by ten points.

Naruto blushed at the intimate and close contact with his date. He wasn't sure how to react. Random thoughts flew back and forth in his head. The conclusion? Don't push her away. Naruto smiled, and patted Yang's back. "You did great against the DDR King. You should be proud." He complimented.

"I feel like my legs melted off." Yang corrected in a muffled voice, hampered by Naruto's clothing.

Naruto chuckled. "That's to be expected since you went at the pace of the song, and matched it by physically moving a foot down on each panel. Not many can do that, and match Gaara's foot speed to the exact beat." Yang gave him a thumbs up. Naruto grabbed the hand, and held onto it. ' _Warm...as expected._ ' He thought. It felt delicate, yet he knew the power it held. It was a paradox. Hard fists did not come from soft and smooth hands like the one he held. Naruto felt Yang's hand slack slightly. He wondered if it was exhaustion that gave that reaction, or something else. It wasn't a big issue, so he pointed out something about her performance. "Your legs gave way near the end because of your one foot per panel method. That's usually not recommended if you're being technical. At best, have a foot in between panels next time for easier reach and less stamina burn."

"Got it, Coach."

"Since your legs are shot, how about an arm exercise?" Naruto suggested. Yang mumbled a question. "Arcade fighters of course! Would GG be all right as a starting point?" Yang nodded. "Okay." He pushed Yang off his shoulder, and pulled on the hand he held to lead her to the fighters section of the arcade. He set her down on one of the stations, while Naruto sat beside her.

Yang went to the character select screen, and picked a girl in a red Chinese dress and a unique haircut. She waited for Naruto to chose his character. When he did, they searched for each other in the local online lobby. The found each other, then started a match.

Naruto's character was a blond in white. A white knight in literal terms. He occupied the right side of the screen while Yang's character took the left. Both blonde players leaned forward for concentration, and readied their hands on the controls.

 _Heaven or Hell..._

 _Let's Rock!_

Yang's character charged forward with a sudden jump kick. Naruto's own character slid on the floor. Both fighters missed each other when aiming for the first hit. The two returned to neutral game, and approached each other carefully. Naruto threw lighting bolts at Yang's character, who jumped over them with ease. All of a sudden, the knight charged forward. The kung fu fighter went on the offensive as well, and led with an aura-infused backhanded punch. The knight turned around to add force to his horizontal swing. Punch and sword clashed, and interrupted the animation. The two players immediately tapped the next inputs to win the clash. A standing kick met a sword thrust in another clash. Yang's character swung her arms down like an axe, but instead met a rising slash. The knight jumped with an overhead slash, but met a fierce and fiery kick that sent him flying to the other side of the screen.

She glared at her date when she saw who he chose, and what his gamer name was. "Really? I can handle fighting one King. It's a different story fighting another one who rules over another domain." Naruto scratched his head, and laughed nervously. "Seriously? I'm fighting L3O's Ky?"

"And I'm fighting Xiaoryu's Jam?" Naruto asked in return. Yang blushed at being figured out by playstyle alone. "Congrats on reaching top ten in rank a week ago, by the way." He said. "I hope you don't mind losing it once I gain my win streak."

Yang, re-energized, smirk at the challenge. "Those are fighting words." The two continued their fight with renewed vigor. And each time, they clashed as if they were in an orchestrated movie scene. Neither showed openings that could be exploited. They fought using optimum moves that would win over the other, yet they could not achieve a proper combo over the other. The best they could do was to get a lucky hit that restarted the neutral game once more until time ran out. Unsatisfied by the round result, the two were motivated to win over the other.

This continued for hours until Yang lost the will to win against the series of clashes that shut down her offense so effectively.

In the back of Naruto's mind, an idle thought regarding the idea of seriously dating Yang wasn't rejected. ' _How am I going to have the chance to buy her a necklace though?_ ' He asked himself.

* * *

"Weiss?"

"Yes, Jaune?"

"Why is it that we're surrounded by reporters?" Jaune asked the obvious. Reporters hounded the Schnee for questions regarding what happened last night, and who was the mysterious young man she made a secret rendezvous with. She didn't answer, and continued walking away. Feeling the need to act as a friend and shield, Jaune kept close pace with her, and became a wall between the reporters and Weiss by visibly deploying his shield. When the action wasn't enough, Jaune manned up. "Give Miss Schnee some room please." He ordered instead of requested. The voice he used to order the group commanded everyone's attention, and surprisingly enough, they followed. "Good. Now Stay away. As you can see, she's stressed by your sudden arrival. Leave before I use force to make you all leave." He bluffed.

"You can't attack us, we're civilians!" Said one of the reporters.

"But if you continue to harass, I can interpret it as an attack, and use self defense." Jaune explained. "And as Miss Schnee's bodyguard, I am saying that continuing this course of action...will bite you guys in the butt." He pointed his sword at them, and waited for them to leave. One by one, they left, and soon, Jaune returned Cocrea Mors into its dormant state.

"I'm surprised." Weiss remarked. "I never thought you had it in you to bluff."

"Oh...you'd be surprised." Jaune laughed nervously. After Miss Goodwitch's critiques, Jaune tirelessly tried to emulate his performance when he fought Naruto. With that as a guideline, he became more conservative with combat. The change was noticeable too. Everyone could see he improved. Suspicions about him faking his transcripts were dismissed once he won a few fights. Though aside from his personal achievements, he asked Weiss his question again.

Weiss finally answered since there wasn't a better time to answer. "Because of the news you heard about today, and how they want more answers to things that are supposed to be private." Weiss answered without a hint of malice aimed at Jaune. "Being the daughter of an influential family and as a small-time pop-star gets you this kind of attention, sadly. Naruto will unfortunately get this treatment as well once they find him."

"I see." Jaune looked down. "I guess that's a reason why you shoot down my requests for a date."

Weiss looked away. "Partially." Jaune slumped his shoulders. "Though the Jaune I'm with right now is much more tolerable than the one I met months ago."

The blond looked up. "Does this mean I-"

"No." Weiss flat out refused.

"...Not even a little?" Jaune hopelessly hoped.

"I'd sooner be a nun." Weiss answered in a harsh, roundabout way.

"Ow...that actually stings, Weiss."

A cookie blocked Jaune's view. "Here, have a cookie, Jaune." Jaune knew whose voice it was, and graciously thanked the leader of team RWBY for the food. Ruby walked in between Jaune and Weiss. The young girl in red offered the same to her partner. Weiss accepted, and grabbed a cookie from the bag Ruby held in her arms. "By the way Weiss, that's why people call you Ice Queen when it comes to young men's hearts."

"I don't find any redeeming qualities in them."

"Not even Jaune?!" Ruby asked incredulously. "He's...He's Jaune!"

"Ow...that hits right where it hurts, Weiss. Yours too, Ruby."

"Oh take it like a man, Jaune." Weiss dismissed Jaune's aching heart. "Where were you, Ruby?" She asked. Ruby held her bag of cookies. "Aside from cookie shopping." Weiss elaborated with an unamused expression all over her face.

"I went to a weapons store to restock on ammunition and invested in some Dust bullets to use." Ruby replied. As an afterthought, Ruby pointed out what she saw. "I saw a guy that was the opposite of Yang."

"And what's so interesting about this person?" Weiss humored her leader.

"First of all, the person was a guy, opposite of Yang's gender. Second of all, he fought with a black version of Ember Celica, but fashioned as greaves! I saw him buy Gust Dust, so I thought he's a fighter just like us." Ruby realized her mistake of making the story too simple, and lost her audience because of the dead conclusion to her story.

"Interesting." Weiss said monotonously. She turned around, and continued walking away to find where those other blondes were.

Jaune looked down. He was absolutely ignored once Ruby came into the picture. He wanted to cry a little.

Ruby saw this, so she patted Jaune's back. "Someday..." She said. "By the way, have you seen the others?"

"Nope."

In other parts of Vale, the detached group were doing their own thing. Nora gobbled up pancakes along with Ren's pocket money. Blake lost track of Naruto and Yang, so she went to a library to find a good book. Clearly, the aforementioned people were performing a textbook procedure on how to stalk a couple on a date.

* * *

Meanwhile, the bodyguard (attack dog) of Weiss Schnee was lost in the tranquil streets of Vale. For the whole day, he searched and searched for the blond that neared Weiss Schnee, his employer's daughter. Hours upon hours of failed attempts to locate the blond forced the bodyguard to turn on his phone to check the time. When he looked at his screen, he jumped back in surprise from the amount of messages Eis Schnee sent him. "Leave the boy. He is of no concern. Trustworthy." He repeated one of the messages. He closed his phone. "You've never deceived me yet, Mr. Schnee. I'll follow the order." He walked in one direction. "I should probably call a cab." He was prone to get lost; better someone with a sense of direction lead him to the Airport to catch an airship bound for Atlas.

* * *

Pyrrha enjoyed her afternoon with her mother. At least as best as she could without reporters hounding around every corner. Her mother explained that the two of them needed to bond a little. That, and to take off the heat from Naruto and Yang on their date today. Pyrrha understood immediately. Teen love in the news racks up the ratings. The two of them were to act as buffers while she and her mother enjoyed their mother-daughter bonding time.

At the moment, they relaxed outside of a small café. It was late in the afternoon, and the energy the two spent were optimally used. Kushina did not ask her daughter about her time in Beacon. She focused on the sights and sounds of Vale; an experience she didn't get the luxury to do in a while. With her daughter failing to leave the academy except for ammunition supplies, she thought it was best that they tour around the city at their leisurely pace. With the two of them stopped, she finally chose to talk about school. "How's Beacon, Pyrrha?"

"Wonderful, I must say." The Invincible Girl answered. "I've made genuine friendships with several people in my years, and my studies are going rather well."

Kushina hummed. "Tell me more about your friends." She said. And so Pyrrha did. She started off with her teammates, Nora and Ren. She described them as clashing personalities since the former is quite eccentric while the other is more reserved. The contrast between them was odd, yet satisfying because Ren curbed Nora, while Nora kept Ren social to some extent. Jaune...it took a while to describe him. Pyrrha used flowery prose to describe her leader in such a way that Kushina predicted the words in her head. ' _A child that strives to be a knight, ignorant of troubles, yet troubled himself. Selfless and dorky, he is a warm person to talk to. Sounds like Minato._ ' She thought with a slight smirk. "Your team is quite unique, Pyrrha." She said. "Quite special. Or rather, one person in that team is special." She mused.

Pyrrha caught on quick. "N-No! It's not like that!"

The older Nikos scoffed. "Please. I went into that phase with an old friend of mine. The way you described your leader was the exact, word for word, description I used for my crush on my unimposing leader when I was a Haven student. Natural blond too, ya know."

Pyrrha looked down to the floor. "Could it be that we Nikos women are into blonds?" She asked her mother with full sincerity to the question.

"Probably." Kushina answered before she took a sip of her coffee. "Or it's the quality of a unimposing man that we, Nikos women, like. I mean imagine your father, Pyrrha. He's not quite...what you'd expect. Especially with his daughter being of age to date."

"That...is the more likely answer." Pyrrha said. "Though I hate admitting it."

"That, or you inherited my preferences in a man when I was your age." Kushina said. The two fell silent. The older Nikos fiddled with a ring on her right middle finger. Pyrrha took notice, but did not ask about it. The mother stared at it for quite a while that it slightly disturbed Pyrrha. It was like her mother was in a trance.

The younger Nikos took her chance to ask about the ring. "Mom?" Pyrrha called. Kushina hummed to answered her call. "All my life, I've seen the ring on your right middle finger never leave your sight. I'm sure it has some value to it, but is there some significance to it?" Kushina stopped staring at the ring, and turned to her daughter immediately after that.

"This belonged to Naruto's father. He entrusted it to me."

"Naruto's...father?" Pyrrha repeated. "He told me he was an orphan."

"Just because he's an orphan, it doesn't mean that he didn't have a birth father." Kushina chided. "Really now. You may be smart and strong, but you lack some common sense at times, dearie." Pyrrha puffed her cheeks childishly. The mother laughed at the unique face only she could bring out of her daughter by teasing her. Once done, she returned to being serious. "Anyways, I knew his father. The mother? Irrelevant. He gave me this ring because he trusted me." She paused. Her tone changed. "Can I trust you with a secret?" She asked in a lower voice.

Pyrrha was confused by the change. "You know you can, mom."

Kushina took a deep breath. "Okay, what I'm telling you must not leave your mouth. You may only speak about it to the Headmaster, and people he knows can be trusted."

"Headmaster Ozpin? He knows?"

"He does." Kushina stood up, and walked into the café. "Excuse me miss, could you listen to a request of mine?" She asked. The woman in question was a blonde woman in a royal blue, frilly maid uniform. The blonde woman urged Kushina to say her request, and request she did. Kushina asked for a secure room where she and her daughter could talk privately. The maid waitress led the way to a hallway that connected to the café. The two Nikos women were given a room, and the two talked.

About her past, Naruto's blood, and how the ring in Kushina's hand were connected.

* * *

It was six. The crimson fireball on the horizon coated the sky in a familiar orange hue. Two blondes silently walked back to the first-year building. They had smiles on their faces. Clearly, they enjoyed their time. So much so that they didn't register in their minds that her left and his right hands were intertwined in a firm hold. Many saw this, and took pictures of the sight. The rumor mill spun once more. This time, it was about a love triangle between the Sun, Snow, and Sky. They entered the building, then trekked up the main staircase to reach the third floor. Once the two met a familiar hallway, Yang said, "Well...this is the end of the road." The couple reached the Huntress's dorm room door. "There was some issues, but overall it was still fun. Made me feel like a kid again at times. It sure was refreshing. Thanks for that." Naruto shrugged his shoulders since he was unable to say anything to the criticism. He winged it. What else could be said? "You were great company, Naruto. Shame this is a one time thing..."

"Well...for my first date, that was something." Naruto said as he failed to say more appropriate words to describe the experience. "Winging it might not be so bad." He said to himself, yet audible enough for Yang to hear. He refocused on Yang. "You were great company too, Yang. I'm glad you enjoyed the date. Here." He pulled out a small bag from the pocket inside his vest. "A gift for a great date." He handed the bag to Yang, who graciously accepted the gift despite not knowing what it was.

Yang instantly opened it, and inside was a rectangular box case that one would find from a jewelry store. "When did you have the time to get this? Where did you even get money for it?"

"I got it when I went to the bathroom. I snuck out the window, went to a jewelry store I know, and bought this for ya. As for the money, it's charity from the old lady. And a friend." Naruto answered. Yang opened the case, and looked at an intricate necklace. It was similar to the one she lost earlier because it had an amethyst as its centerpiece. The gem was held by two gold dragons. Each dragon's tail was connected to a silver chain. The young woman was speechless. "Should be a good replacement for your old one right? Like it?"

"Why?"

"Hm?" Naruto was confused. "I told you why."

She didn't understand. The date was only a date to get rid of any awkward feelings. At least that was Naruto's intention. She got mixed signals once the gift came into play. Why would anyone waste that much on someone they hardly knew? It wasn't right no matter how happy she was upon receiving the gift. "You didn't need to go out and buy something so expensive for someone you aren't even going to date again." Yang said calmly. She pushed the gift back to Naruto. "I appreciate the thought, but I'll decline. Didn't your granny teach you how to save money?"

Naruto crossed his arms. "She also taught me that if a girl is worth the trouble, you do anything you can to make her happy."

Yang stiffened. "Anything? Worth it?" She repeated.

"That's what I said."

Her lilac eyes stared into Naruto's blue ones. She needed to look him in the eye to see whether he was joking or not. "Just what am I to you?" She asked Naruto.

"Huh?"

"Am I a stranger, acquaintance, or a friend?" Yang modified the question for better understanding.

Naruto went silent. He didn't know how to classify their relationship. He hardly knew Yang, so he thought acquaintance. Then his unusual friendship with Jaune popped out. ' _This is confusing._ ' He thought. He definitely knew that Yang sure wasn't a stranger. Yang considered him a friend. He thought he would like to be friends with Yang as well. He scripted his next words, and-

Yang didn't wait for an answer. She shoved the necklace back to Naruto. "I'm happy for the gift, but I can't accept something so valuable." ' _Not when I don't deserve it._ ' She kept that last part to herself. She turned around, and opened her dorm's door. She was in the motion of entering it when Naruto stopped her.

"I...think of you as an acquaintance, Yang." Naruto answered truthfully. The young man felt the Huntress in training flinch. He realized he needed to say it fast, or she would close the door on him. "But I want to be your friend. You're amazing, lively, funny, feisty, and all those other things that make up who you are. I want to know that person. I want to know Yang Xiao Long." He said to her with a soothing voice. "I want to know what makes you tick, what are your likes, hates, dreams, and goals. I want to..." He trailed off. His mind debated on saying it. His body rebelled. "I want to do this again." He told to the blonde member of team RWBY. "I want to do this again to know how I feel about you. You brought up feelings that I thought I didn't have. I want to know if there's something -anything- at all that says if I am or am not in love with you."

Yang was breathless. She didn't know how to react to this. Countless date with other guys, and not one showed her this much sincerity and affection for her. Compared to them, Naruto was a saint. And here, this saint professed that he wanted to have a chance at dating her again. Not out of obligation, but out of interest in her. She was thankful that her back faced Naruto, or else he would have seen her face go as red as her sister's cape.

Naruto went on continuing to explain himself. "I gave you that necklace not only to replace it, but because I realize during our time today that you're worth it." The tension in Yang's arm slacked. Naruto was glad that he got her to listen. "I don't want to see you upset especially when we had such a good time. So please, take the gift. Because tonight is not the last night we meet. This is not the last night we have together." His grip on Yang's wrist tightened. "I want to see you happy. I want to see your beautiful smile, and hear your amazing laugh. I-"

"Stop it." Yang interrupted.

"Wha?"

"I've heard enough." Yang turned around, and yanked her arm out of his grip. "You deserve at least this much." She said to her crush.

Naruto understood that Yang broke off of his grip. What he didn't understand was what happened next. His vest was pulled by the collar. He was forced to hunch over a little. Yang's face was right in front of him with no extra room to move. Her face was red; her eyes absolutely shut. His lips felt _something._ ' _Soft, delicate, smooth..._ ' The cogs in his head slowly turned. His senses, numbed by the mind, sent message after message into his brain. Yang pulled him in again. The sensation on his lips intensified. Sparks sent his mind into overdrive instantly. The slow, young man finally understood what happened.

He closed his eyes, and accepted the kiss.

 _ **And done! Made it extra long for you guys. I hope this had a great ratio of plot and romance. Sadly the latter is amateurish for I myself, a college student, don't know genuine romance (or what goes on a date); or feel that the execution of plausible motivations for Naruto's and Yang's actions here at the end are enough. I also hope what I wrote gave enough indication that something sparked between them. Please do criticize me on the whole of this chapter. I'm inept at romance. Flowery poetry I can do, but genuine romance? I'm sure there's a better way to execute it instead of my usual sappy lines.**_

 _ **Now I'm sure you've spotted some significant plot points in here, so tell me what you think about those too.**_

 _ **And finally: spot all the references!**_

 _ **Or not.**_

 _ **Review, follow, favorite, I don't care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	18. A Simple Premonition

_**I guess I did something right with that last chapter. Good to know. Here**_ _ **'**_ _ **s another one for your entertainment.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 16: A Simple Premonition

" _This is_ not _a tragedy._ " A sultry woman's voice spoke over the speakers lined up all around Amity colosseum's walls. However, that voice wasn't only heard by the people of Vale. No. It was heard by everyone around the world with access to the CCT and the Dustnet. " _This was not an accident._ " She continued.

Naruto listened to the voice, the one responsible for this. Beside him, Adam scowled. The two of them understood what was happening. The one behind this was ready to start the next part of her plan.

" _Terzo_! We have to warn the Headmasters!" Adam ordered.

Naruto turned around, and headed for the nearest exit. "You tell them yourself." He told with a snarl. "I'm heading out there." His footsteps cracked the ground. His fists were lit aflame. His eyes were burning orange, and the crown of flame on his forehead grew.

"All on your own?!" The Bull Faunus questioned. "Are you crazy?!"

"Then get the others!" Naruto commanded. "I'll stop any Grimm that come to the city. Tell the others to stay where they are, and defend!" With those last words, he sprinted out of there, and got himself ready for a battle.

Adam sent a simple message to the other Guardians.

 _Defend the place you_ _'_ _re at right now. Grimm are coming._

After that, he went to the commentator's box to wire a message to Ozpin, Ironwood, and the other two Headmasters. He went at full speed; time was of the essence. The peoples' safety were under attack.

* * *

" _This is what happens when you hand over your trust. Your safety. Your children. To men who claim to be our Guardians._ "

* * *

Jaune left the stands, and called out his locker to his coordinates at one of the landing pads of Amity colosseum. Armed with sword and shield, he was ready for a battle. Ren and Nora were there alongside him. They knew something was wrong with this situation. Thankfully, they weren't the only wise ones. Soldiers of Atlas, their androids, and several students were armed and ready for incoming Grimm.

Negativity of this magnitude can only call the worst of the Grimm.

* * *

The woman spoke as if she had more to say. However, the more genre-savvy few understood where the voice was going to go with this. " _But are, in reality, nothing more than men._ " The way she delivered that line…there was contempt in them. " _Our Academies_ _'_ _Headmasters wield more power than most armies. And, one was_ audacious _enough to control both._ "

Ironwood did not like that comment, and stormed out of the stands to head for the commentator's box.

" _They_ cling _to this power in the name of peace, yet what do we have here? One nation_ _'_ _s attempt at a synthetic army? Mercilessly torn apart by a star pupil._ "

Pyrrha looked absolutely terrified. She did what was essentially murder, and all because she lost control over her Semblance. She covered her mouth, speechless as the horror she caused.

" _What need does Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent, little girl? I don_ _'_ _t think the Grimm can tell the difference._ " To many warriors who watched the horror unfolded, they too questioned that aesthetic design. Grimm would kill any Human or Faunus along with their creations.

" _And what, I ask you, is Ozpin teaching_ his _students? First dismemberment, now this?_ " The students and staff of Beacon scowled at the thinly veiled insult thrown their Headmaster's way. The upperclassmen and educational staff understood that the events that happened that caused distress were not a coincidence. This was staged. But they couldn't say anything. Not when the CCT was jammed from communicating to any of the Kingdoms. " _Huntsmen and Huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy, yet I have witnessed neither._ "

* * *

Blake and Weiss were too busy arming themselves with what they could hold on their person. Adam warned them of an attack. And since they were at Beacon's fairgrounds, it would only be a matter of time until the radical forces of the White Fang stormed onto Beacon's ports. They had to be ready. Mere words -seeds of doubt- would not stop them. They were training to be Huntresses that kept the peace. This was a simple push in that direction.

* * *

" _Perhaps Ozpin felt that defeating Atlas in the tournament would help people forget his_ colossal _failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its streets._ "

* * *

Yang was already heading to her locker to stock up for a long battle. Those in school who looked to at her with glares were nothing more than obstacles in her way to protect the Academy. She knew Weiss and Blake were doing the very same thing. Past doubts needed to be curbed to the side. Her responsibility to protect the people came first.

* * *

" _Perhaps this was his message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces._ " Ozpin was calm. He analyzed the chaos he bore witness to. " _Honestly, I haven_ _'_ _t the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong._ " The Headmaster looked behind him, and watched as the Atlesian fleet went into action to protect the kingdom of Vale. " _But I know the existence of peace is fragile. And the leaders of the kingdoms lead with iron gloves._ "

* * *

Emerald watched as she saw what her orders led to. Growing doubt, negativity, and panic. A young woman, who alters perceptions, gave birth to an infamous event that would be written as the day the world forever changed. Granted this was not what she wanted. This was what _Cinder_ wanted. Even so, Emerald knew the world would not return to the way it was. Not for a long time. And it will be her and Mercury's fault that they couldn't stop it when they had a chance. ' _I_ _'_ _m sorry, Naruto._ ' She apologized in her mind.

" _As someone hailing from Mistral, the situation there is_ _…_ _equally undesirable._ " She took a pause, then continued her speech of impending doom. " _Our kingdoms are on the brink of war. Yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark._ "

* * *

At the perimeter surrounding Mountain Glenn, line after line of defense was torn down by the Grimm. Their sheer numbers overwhelmed the forces stationed there. Their futile resistance literally crushed underfootby Goliaths, Beowolves, Ursas, and others.

" _So I ask you_ _…_ _when the first shots are fired, who do_ you _think you can trust?_ " And with that, the woman's voice stopped. To replace the silence, the siren that alerted the populace of a Grimm invasion, echoed across Vale.

* * *

Atop Amity colosseum, a giant Nevermore attempted to break the field that protected the people from the avian Grimm's attacks. An orange blur tore a hole through it, and burned for good measure.

Beacon students and staff knew who it was. Everyone from the Academy of Beacon instantly answered to the call of duty.

"Dammit! Why? What is she after?!" Naruto asked as he flew, and slaughtered Grimm -Nevermores- that dared to attack the colosseum. He whizzed around the humongous colosseum at break neck speeds. His eyes were slowly getting tunnel vision from the speeds he attained. To the untrained eye, he would look like an arrow of fire that smashed into the Nevermores with brutal impact and lack of restraint. With passion and rage that made him out to be like a minor god of fire and destruction, Naruto continued to unleash his wrath on the Grimm like a storm.

To those opposite of that…to those who experienced this fury, they saw the third coming of the dreaded Fiamma's blood.

Whose speed was unmatched by Huntsmen or Huntresses when he was airborne.

"Just die, damn you!" A sickening punch obliterated a giant Nevermore's head. He redirected his arms in front of him to back away instantly from a dive-bombing fellow. He snapped his finger, and the Grimm blew up in chunks. Up above, a flock of smaller Nevermores cawed as they charged at him. Naruto increased the output of his flames, but didn't expel any of it from his hands. Fire erupted from his feet, and propelled him to his enemies. Naruto spun like a drill, and tore through them with ease. He turned to the general direction of Mountain Glenn, and glared with his molten orange irises. He tapped the heels of his boots together; placed his arms behind him; and released the pressure of flames like a volcano.

Whose flames were feared by both Men and Faunus.

Naruto's Aura coated the area around him like a fireball. His rage amplified the output, but he was on the fine line between control and being overpowered by his rage. To an extent, he knew that this was the way. Grimm were attracted to negativity? Then like moths to a flame, he would attract them with his own negativity. His fire grew like a raging inferno. The flames on his forehead were larger than his body. It made him look like his hair burned into a crown of flames. And the cause of its increased size was the fact his resolve was nigh unbreakable and intense as its physical representation. " _ **DAMN ALL YOU GRIMM TO A HELL OF YOUR OWN MAKING!**_ " He roared into the heavens.

Let it be known that with enough pressure, Naruto's rage could overcome even his Hyper Dying Will Mode's tendency to make him a calm and calculative fighter.

Out in the distance, a deafening roar echoed louder than Naruto's rage-filled declaration of death. A sphere of energy whizzed past Naruto, and headed deep into the mountains, past Emerald Forest. When it made impact, a dome of utter destruction lit up the area. The shockwave alone disturbed the landscape. The city quaked. Beacon's pillars fractured. Naruto was blown away, but managed to stay airborne.

He stared at a colossal beast in the distance. Fury-lidded eyes of red peered through the darkness of night. The shattered moon was behind it. The black form swished its multiple tails. The Fiamma counted them one by one. "Nine…" A name popped in his head. "Ku…Kurama?"

* * *

"You brought your army into my Kingdom. _Use it_ , James!" The Headmaster demanded. With the call done, Ozpin stared at his desk. Several touchscreen buttons rapidly came into view. He quickly chose the one labeled protocols. After that, a submenu popped up.

 _Fire_

 _Earthquake_

 _Glynda_ _'_ _s wrath_

 _Grimm_

 _Siege_

He chose both Grimm and Siege. A final and shared submenu appeared.

 _Release the Cleaners_

Ozpin pushed the button.

 _Are you sure?_

Ozpin pushed yes. "I will not stand idly to this unprecedented scheme." Ozpin said to no one but himself. He turned around to face the cityscape of Vale and the colosseum in the distance. "You may attack my reputation. You may attack my standing as a morally just person. You may place seeds of doubt towards me. You may force me to hand over my position." He slammed his cane on the floor. "However, I will not allow you to harm my students, my Academy, and the people of this kingdom!"

 _-_ Months earlier _-_

Naruto opened his eyes. He sat up from his bed. He removed the blankets over him, and got off his bed. He took a few stretches to rid himself of a few kinks in his body. Once done, he played with his Aura.

Fire. The ball of fire he made a few days ago was strange. Somehow, he knew what to do. It was like an old muscle. He knew there was something off, but what could he say about the situation than it being nothing more than a dream? He closed his palm, and the construct of Aura blurred from existence. He exhaled.

But the flames came back with twice the heat and passion. Both his hands were engulfed in flames. Blood-red flames to be exact. Unsure of the why there was new development in his Aura, he chose to stop it by willpower. The flames died down only to be replaced with that of sparkling golden flames. "What's going on?!" He asked himself. Then that changed to a watery blue, to hyperactive lightning, cloudy purple flames, indigo wisps, a stark white -ghostly- flames, and finally absolute black. He closed his eyes, and focused on his own flames. He calmed himself with deep breaths.

He opened his eyes, and found himself staring at his normal flames. He closed his hands into fists, and stopped the flow of Aura into his hands.

Naruto groaned. "Why can't my mornings be forever normal?" He combed his hair back with his right hand before he pushed his index fingers on the sides of his forehead. "Just _what_ is going on with my life?" He asked no one in particular. Moments later, he looked to his ring. "Something tells me it's all your fault." He blamed the inanimate object stuck on his finger.

He wasn't wrong, nor was he right.

"I don't have time for this." Naruto muttered. He walked up to his closet, and dressed in his casual clothes. He would focus on it later. Right now…he needed to do some studying again. Expand on vocabulary, refresh on some fundamental mathematics, read about general knowledge in the science field, and so on. Probably some extra research on control of Aura as well. ' _Maybe Goodwitch could help?_ ' He thought. ' _She probably has an idea of what_ _'_ _s wrong._ ' He left his room, and headed for the library.

* * *

"So how did the date go?" Ruby asked her older sister. "Was it awesome?! Did he do anything wrong?!" This and a bunch more flurries of questions bombarded Yang's cranium. Aside from Ruby's hyperactive and concerned queries, Weiss was more focused on Naruto's behavior, and Blake herself wondered what changed between them. So the young woman answered them in order.

"It was great, Rubes. We had some ramen in A Simple Wok, went to the seaside theme park. Did a little walking by the boardwalk. Played against Vale's DDR king. And fought Naruto in some arcade fighters." She easily summarized most of her day without a pause. "And then when we got back, Naruto gave me this." She pointed to her new necklace she wore. The gem and its gold dragons were just a few millimeters shy of touching her cleavage. "And…" She trailed off.

Weiss was curious. "And?"

Yang leaned forward on the table, and supported her chin with one hand. "And for his behavior…it was normal. Treated me like a woman. Played to my party girl persona. Respected me, and didn't give me any lustful looks. Well there were few, but that wasn't outright staring really. He's much better than the slobs that asked me out before." Yang crossed her arms at what she believed was an acceptable behavior for her date. "And because of it we're confirmed to be dating."

"Not boyfriend and girlfriend yet?" Blake questioned. "Odd."

"It was a date to get rid of awkward feelings. Turns out after our date, Naruto wanted a second chance just as much as I did." Yang answered. "But we aren't at that level yet. So…yeah."

Ren chose to speak up. "With all the whispered words I hear, the situation says otherwise."

Nora backed him up. "They saw you're all lovey-dovey with him!" She chattered loudly. "You held on to his hands firmly, and huddled close to him like a shy puppy. Slowly, you inch closer and closer until you settle your head on his shoulder as you two walked all the way to your room and-"

"Enough, Nora." Ren interrupted. "The first part may have happened, but I doubt Yang would show that much public display of affection for someone."

Blake scoffed, then nibbled on her tuna sandwich. After she swallowed what she chewed, she said, "And here I thought you would make out with him before he left you." She closely inspected Yang's expression when she gave the idea that the two kissed. To Blake's surprise, Yang did not flinch.

"Me? Kiss on the first date? I'm not that easy, Blake." Yang waved the idea off as if it was a fly. Of course, it was a lie. Yang did not give lip-lock to any guy. None gave more of an impression than Naruto. She liked the qualities Naruto showed off that were good during the date. The others were at best hoping to get lucky with a kiss whereas the worst wanted to get in her pants. Of which none were able to get to the goal with the latter while few achieved the former.

That means he got the dragon's rare kiss.

"Oh?" Blake sounded interested. "Then I guess the website of Beacon is laced with beautifully edited pictures then. Oh, and a convincing cast that can cosplay as you and Naruto." She said right before she took a sip of her morning coffee.

"What?"

Blake lowered her mug of coffee, and explained her words. "I thought with you being a social person and all that _you_ would go to Beacon's forums. Apparently, Naruto's love life is all the rave nowadays." She rolled her eyes at that. People seriously needed to butt out of someone's life. Well…she can't stop it. It's way out of her control. "It's trumped previously famous forum posts on the site, where the students were speculating Naruto's combat skills, potential, Semblance, etc." Blake pulled out her scroll, and opened up the Dustnet, and chose her latest bookmark: the gallery of Naruto and Yang deeply making out. "Oh! A new one came out. Looks like Naruto was about to get to second base if the jacket half on means anything." Blake was too invested on what's on the screen to see Yang's reaction.

"Ew! Yang?! You were about to get it on in the hallway?!" Ruby shrieked. "Gross!"

Weiss concurred. "Even _that_ _'_ _s_ low for you." She moved her ponytail behind her shoulders. "But I do wonder what caused a reaction like that." She said. The young woman in white turned to her teammate in black. "Is there video of the scene, Blake?"

"Indeed." The secret Faunus handed her Scroll over to Weiss for her to watch. "I have it queued up. So press play whenever." The pretty young woman in black returned to chewing on her sandwich with gusto. Team RWBY and JNPR listened in on the video as Weiss pressed play.

Yang subjected herself to silence. Her intimate moment with Naruto was exposed for the world to seek out. There was nothing she could do but relive it in video form.

Weiss pressed play, and set the volume at its maximum level for perfect audio.

 _"There was some issues, but overall it was still fun. Made me feel like a kid again at times. It sure was refreshing. Thanks for that." Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "You were great company, Naruto. Shame this is a one time thing..."_

 _"Well...for my first date, that was something." Naruto said as he failed to say more appropriate words to describe the experience._ _"…_ _might not be so bad."_

The video failed to capture his full paused it."What did he say?" She asked.

"Winging it might not be so bad." Yang replied monotonously. Ruby pressed play.

 _He refocused on Yang. "You were great company too, Yang. I'm glad you enjoyed the date. Here." He pulled out a small bag from the pocket inside his vest. "A gift for a great date." He handed the bag to Yang, who graciously accepted the gift despite not knowing what it was._

 _Yang instantly opened it, and inside was a rectangular box case that one would find from a jewelry store. "When did you have the time to get this? Where did you even get money for it?"_

 _"I got it when I went to the bathroom. I snuck out the window, went to a jewelry store I know, and bought this for ya. As for the money, it's charity from the old lady. And a friend." Naruto answered. Yang opened the case, and looked at an intricate necklace. It had an amethyst as its centerpiece. The gem was held by two gold dragons. Each dragon's tail was connected to a silver chain. The young woman was visibly speechless. "Should be a good replacement for your old one right? Like it?_ _"_

Weiss was a bit disgusted. "He got the time to buy that by sneaking in and out of the restroom?" She turned to Yang. "Tell me he washed his hands."

"He did." Yang answered.

" _Why?" She asked as her body trembled slightly._

 _"Hm?" Naruto was confused. He scratched his head at the strange reaction. "I told you why."_

 _She didn't understand. Her face of confusion only intensified. She looked like she got mixed signals once the gift came into play. Her trembling stopped. Her shoulders slacked. The necklace and its case were lowered._ _"_ _You didn't need to go out and buy something so expensive for someone you aren't even going to date again." Yang said calmly. She pushed the gift back to Naruto. "I appreciate the thought, but I'll decline. Didn't your granny teach you how to save money?"_

 _Naruto crossed his arms. "She also taught me that if a girl is worth the trouble, you do anything you can to make her happy._ _"_

The girls, except Nora, sputtered at the line. Jaune took notes. Pyrrha subtlety looked over to see what he wrote.

 _ **Do anything to make a girl happy**_

Pyrrha wanted to object, but with her leader trying so hard to understand how to act smooth with the ladies, she couldn't muster the courage to say that he was fine acting normal. Even if she did say it, it wouldn't matter. Jaune's low self-esteem prevented him from seeing his own potential as good boyfriend material.

 _Yang stiffened. "Anything? Worth it?" She repeated._

 _"That's what I said."_

 _Her lilac eyes stared into Naruto's blue ones._

The video focused on Yang's face. It looked like she wanted closure with his words.

 _"Just what am I to you?" She asked Naruto._

" _Huh?"_ _Naruto stepped back a little._

 _"Am I a stranger, acquaintance, or a friend?" Yang modified the question for better understanding._

"Straightforward." Blake commented. "How appropriate for one such as you, Yang."

"What does that supposed to mean?" Yang asked.

"Quiet you two." Weiss chastised.

 _Naruto went silent._

"Well _that_ _'_ _s_ an ego booster." Jaune joked lamely. No one obviously laughed. He went to write on his notes to…

 _ **Answer quick.**_

 _"I'm happy for the gift, but I can't accept something so valuable." She turned around, and opened her dorm's door. She was in the motion of entering it when Naruto stopped her by grabbing hold of her right hand_ _._

 _"I...think of you as an acquaintance, Yang." Naruto answered truthfully. The young man felt the Huntress in training flinch._

Jaune added extra to his previous note.

 _ **Answer quick, and explain if it**_ _ **'**_ _ **s vague.**_

 _"But I want to be your friend. You're amazing, lively, funny, feisty, and all those other things that make up who you are. I want to know that person. I want to know Yang Xiao Long." He said to her with a soothing voice. "I want to know what makes you tick, what are your likes, hates, dreams, and goals. I want to..." He trailed off. "I want to do this again." He told to the blonde member of team RWBY. "I want to do this again to know how I feel about you. You brought up feelings that I thought I didn't have. I want to know if there's something -anything- at all that says if I am or am not in love with you._ _"_

Ruby's cheeks were tinted in pink. Weiss gawked as her cheeks flushed with blood. Blake smiled at her lord's sincerity. Yang looked down on her plate, and played with her fork.

Jaune wrote down honesty as a note. Nora wanted them to kiss already. Pyrrha idly wished Jaune could say that to her. Meanwhile, Ren reeled Nora's excitement back by feeding Nora pancakes.

 _Yang was breathless. She looked like she didn't know how to react to this._

 _Naruto went on continuing to explain himself. "I gave you that necklace not only to replace it, but because I realize during our time today that you're worth it." The tension in Yang's arm slacked. Naruto was glad that he got her to listen. His soft smile of glee was perfectly captured. He let out a small chuckle once he got Yang to listen some more._

Team RWBY's mouths were on the table. Blake was the fastest to recover. It was unlike her to react like that. But Oum dammit was that smile so gorgeous on him! Weiss was next to recover. She had her fair share of princely smiles; however, Naruto's own struck a chord. Deny all she might, but she knew her cheeks were redder than before. Yang's affection for him grew larger. The way his expressions showed absolute sincerity in them got to her. Ruby, the last one, couldn't recover from it.

" _I don't want to see you upset especially when we had such a good time. So please, take the gift._ _"_ _He pushed the necklace and its case back to Yang_ _'_ _s open right hand._ _"_ _Because tonight is not the last night we meet. This is not the last night we have together." His grip on Yang's wrist tightened. "I want to see you happy. I want to see your beautiful smile, and hear your amazing laugh. I-"_

 _"Stop it." Yang interrupted._

 _"Wha?"_

 _"I've heard enough." Yang turned around, and yanked her arm out of his grip. "You deserve at least this much." She said to her date._

 _Naruto_ _'_ _s mind blew. At least from the expression he gave. His vest was pulled by the collar. He was forced to hunch over a little. Yang's face was right in front of him with no extra room to move. Her face was red; her eyes absolutely shut. Yang pulled him in again. Slowly, his expression changed from dumbfounded to epiphany. The slow, young man finally understood what happened._

 _He closed his eyes, and accepted the kiss. He cupped Yang_ _'_ _s cheeks, deepening it-_

Yang grabbed the Scroll, and ran away with it. She yelled, "Leave my precious moment alone!" Her words echoed into the hallways, but her friends left at the table weren't amused.

Weiss pulled out her Scroll. "Fool. She realizes we have our own Scrolls to watch this on."

Blake smirked right before drinking the last of her coffee. "Let me have it. I'll set it to right where we left off."

* * *

Naruto's eyes dilated as he finished his fourth book of educational fundamentals. Beside him, three notebooks were filled with notes he got from reading. "Why is learning so exhausting…?!" He asked himself. His head made contact with the desk. "I really need to stop cramming." He told himself. "Nothing good comes from it. The headaches keep getting worse." A few taps of his forehead to the table made him miraculously lost his headache. He rocketed backwards onto the backrest of the chair he sat.

 _Yang pulled Naruto in deeper. Her hold on him was like a vice. He couldn't -wouldn_ _'_ _t- escape this. His arms reached to her back. He too pulled her in._

 _To Naruto, doing this somehow felt right. One of his hands cupped Yang_ _'_ _s cheek to caress her supple skin. It felt nothing like he ever grasped before. Her warmth was like a tender fire to his hands. His fingertips glided over like a skater grazed ice. He felt Yang shiver under his touch. The same hand that touched her cheek roamed behind, and cradled the back of Yang_ _'_ _s head. The contours of her head fit perfectly with his hand, and so he firmly held, and returned Yang_ _'_ _s kiss with equal fervor. The longer the kiss, the less oxygen they had. Reluctantly, they retreated from each other._

 _Lilac met blue. A scarlet face met one of equal shade. He caressed her golden hair with care as both of them went back to lock lips once more._

Naruto opened his eyes upon remembering what happened yesterday night. His cheeks flushed, and he needed to wipe it off. "Maybe I'll grab some fresh air." He paused to think about it. "Yeah. That should do some good." He stood up from his seat, returned the books he borrowed to its rightful place, and grabbed his notes before going out the library's doors.

Once out, he walked around the campus with mindless scanning of the area. His boss told him that a criteria to be one of Beacon's janitors was to be observant. His words were, "If you can't spot a blemish on one of Beacon's walls or floors, you weren't ready to be a janitor." Naruto was deemed observant enough. But instead of stains, Naruto focused on security of the Academy.

He didn't know why, but he felt the air change. Something bad would happen in the future. During his date with Yang, he heard whispers from both stray and grouped Faunus rummaging through the streets.

White Fang were in Vale. They were recruiting.

Naruto's intuition and magnetic ability to attract trouble told him war was coming. And so…he watched patrol after patrol of single guards roam Beacon's campus with less fervor due to the monotony of the job. Beacon was a private institution. Hence the tuition. There was no sign of law enforcement other than the spare security guards patrolling the area.

Security was lax. Understandable because each and every person on this campus had a weapon at the push of a button. Problem was…if there was a full siege, could an army of inexperienced students and guards with lacking armaments push back the invading force? He liked to think they could.

But there had to be hidden security. Quality trumped quantity, but he knew the teachers could only do so much. This place was large. If stormed from all sides, teachers would protect valuable structures and herd the students to those places to fortify defenses.

At least that was the sensible thing to do.

Naruto could tell Ozpin hid a lot of things from him. And that the Headmaster was not one to ignore his students' safety. Maybe that retaliatory force that would protect this Academy hid in plain sight. Honestly, that was all he could theorize. Vale did not have the tech advancements of Atlas. They didn't have the luxury of robots as guards. So…if that force were hidden in plain sight, what would it be? More importantly, why was he getting much attention from Ozpin?

He knew Cielo Fiamma was owned by someone dangerous. He knew his Aura was compatible with Cielo Fiamma; moreover, it amplified the intensity of his Aura. He knew how to fight in the event of an attack. However, the techniques he learned and the style he chose were meant to end fights quickly, or to do as much physical damage to his opponent. Both were meant to defeat various levels of opponents from inexperienced to strong warriors.

No simple janitor has that kind of power.

' _That_ _'_ _s probably the reason._ ' He thought. During his musings, he bumped into someone. The impact didn't knock down either person in the collision, but they still recoiled from the contact. His eyes focused on burning red hair and bronze armor. "Oh! My bad, Pyrrha." He apologized. "Didn't hurt you anywhere, did I?"

Pyrrha dusted off whatever was on her attire, then shook her head. "Oh no. It's nothing to apologize for. I was too focused on something." She placed her hands up in a preemptive way to show its lack of importance.

Naruto crossed his arms. "Really? Me too." He said. "I guess we have something big on our minds." He said. He moved to the side. "I'll get out of your hair." He started to walk away. Pyrrha stopped him by blocking his way. "What's wrong?" He asked curiously.

"I need to talk to you about something." She said vaguely. "It's important, so could you walk with me?"

"Hm…kay." He answered with a smile. "Nothing too bad is it? If that's so, then lead the way, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha's mind was a mess. Aside from her "hopeless love life" told to her by her mother, she had a bombshell dropped on her. Looking at Naruto's and Yang's moment didn't help either because her thoughts were constantly derailed by the idea that Jaune would do the same for her. However, she had to focus. Naruto's life is in danger. He needed to know that, and the ring she had on her could help a little bit. ' _How can I approach this topic without it going out of control?_ ' She had options: truth, casually lead to main topic, hand over the ring and lie, or…

"Hey, Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha looked at the young man beside her. "Yes?"

"How's Yang?" He asked. "Is…Is she doing all right? Anything strange about her?"

"She's fine." The Mistralian champion replied. "Better than fine actually. You've turned her into a lovestruck girl." She said with an amused tone in her voice. "Not many can do that to strong-willed, young women. What's your secret?" She asked as a joke.

"Well…I don't think I have one." Naruto said. "I just did what I felt was right." He looked to the sky. "Don't tell her what I'm about to say, okay?" Pyrrha nodded, and motioned him to continue. "I don't know if she realized this, but a possible reason she's so into thrills is probably because she was so invested in raising Ruby." He told his red-haired companion. "My mind clicked that what she needed was a chance to relive a childhood she never fully appreciated." He paused. "N-Not that it meant going through childish games and stuff, but to just have pure fun."

"I see where your coming from." Pyrrha said. "I've seen Yang mother Ruby too at times. It seems you thought deeper into that."

"Yeah, but then…"

"Then what?"

"It is wrong for a guy to be so eager to ask his date for another in the future?" Naruto asked.

"I'm not an expert, but if Yang gave you a kiss -a deep kiss- on the lips, I think it means she's in love with you. Deeply even by how desperate she wanted to pull you in." Naruto casually turned his head to the side to hide his growing blush at the reminded of what happened last night. He couldn't comment at all.

"We're here." The two reached one of the benches that faced the cliff and the city below. Pyrrha sat first, then beckoned Naruto to sit next to her.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Naruto asked.

Pyrrha felt conflicted being the messenger. She wanted her mother to be the one doing this, but she left for home in Mistral. Her mother could handle this situation better than she could hope to do at this moment in time. She closed her eyes, and remembered her reaction to the truth of Naruto being revealed to her.

She was shocked. Speechless.

If she reacted like that, she could only imagine Naruto's own. Pyrrha took a few deep breaths. ' _He needs to know_.' She told herself. Pyrrha pulled out her mother's ring. Her free hand grabbed Naruto's nearest one, and placed the ring there. "This."

Naruto stared at what was given to him. A ring with a hexagonal ruby as its centerpiece. Inscribed onto the crystal was the image of a tornado and an emblem of a lion with its mane ablaze right above the tornado. However, what got to him was the name on the crystal.

Fiamma.

He stood up immediately. "W-What is this?!" He asked Pyrrha. Before she could answer, the ring responded to Naruto's Aura, and burned blood red like earlier in the morning. But in conjunction, his ring burned as well. The flames mingled. Their heat intensified. Naruto kept the rings away from his face. But in the heat of the moment, a memory seeped into his mind.

" _Do you solemnly swear allegiance to me, and become part of my family?_ _"_ _A man with blond, spiky hair asked_ _._ _His blue eyes sparkled._

" _I do._ _"_ _A woman answered._

" _You will be a force of destruction. My sharpest sword._ _"_ _He said with a grave tone._ _"_ _Do you have what it takes to stand by my side; to protect me; to destroy my enemies if need be?_ _"_

" _I do._ _"_

" _Then you will be my_ Tempesta _, Kushina Uzumaki._ _"_ _Fiamma said with finality. He gave the ring to a woman, whose red hair flowed down like red velvet_ _._ _"_ _You will be the storm that is at the heart of the battle with relentless attacks._ _"_ _Fiamma paused, and gave a small smile._ _"_ _Do you think you can handle that, Red?_ _"_ _He asked playfully._

" _Hey! This is a serious event!_ _"_ _Kushina chided with a punch to Fiamma_ _'_ _s chest._

" _Right!_ _"_ _He said._ _"_ _So, I ask, can you handle this responsibility?_ _"_ _He said more professionally._

" _I do._ _"_ _She said._ _"_ _And don_ _'_ _t you forget it!_ _"_ _She declared,_ _"_ _I am your_ Tempesta. _Your best Guardian!_ _"_

The memory ended, and so were the flames' inferno. Naruto stared at the rings. Speechless, he reluctantly sat down. Naruto knew the man in the memory. ' _Mr. Fiamma_ _…_ _?_ ' He looked to his ring, Cielo Fiamma, and looked at the gem. The name Fiamma glowed inside the crystal. ' _This is your ring?_ ' He asked himself. The man he thought of as a father was the one who owned the ring. ' _He knew all along, and chose not to say anything?!_ '

Pyrrha could only watch as Naruto spiraled downward into confusion. She had to stop it. "Naruto. The reason I gave you that is because my mother, Kushina Uzumaki Nikos, said that it was time to return it to its rightful owner."

"Owner? But I'm not a Fiamma." Naruto said to Pyrrha.

"No. That's what _you_ think you are. You aren't an Uzumaki." Pyrrha said in return. "It's your unofficial surname; a placeholder for official documents. You chose, or rather someone, chose to give you that name." She said, knowing the truth after it was revealed to her. She stood up from her seat, and walked in front of Naruto. Her eyes showed reluctance. They showed uneasiness. Despite that, Naruto needed to know the truth. "My mother allowed you to have the Uzumaki surname as a means to protect you from the White Fang. Many weren't foolish to attack one who had the same surname as the Red Death, the _Tempesta_ Guardian of Secondo Fiamma." She paused to watch Naruto's expression turned from confusion to clueless. She had more to say. "You were in an orphanage because your father did it to let you live. Your caretaker, Lupa, hid you from the world by your father's order. If they found out you were alive earlier, when your were weak and helpless, you would have died."

Naruto hunched over. The information blasted at him came too quickly. A ringing in his ears prevented him from thinking. "I-I don't understand." He said. "Slow down!" He pleaded while the rings resonated.

"The White Fang are after you, Naruto." Pyrrha warned. "All because of the blood you carry into your veins."

"I don't understand!" Naruto whimpered. The vibrations in his head rang louder. The resonating between rings became stronger. "I-I…" He failed to say anything. His Aura fluctuated.

" _Naruto._ _"_

" _Yes, Mr. Fiamma?_ _"_

" _Do you hate your parents?_ _"_

 _Naruto thought about it for a moment._ _"_ _No._ _"_ _He answered._

" _Why?_ _"_ _He asked._ _"_ _They left you alone._ _"_ _He said._ _"_ _Shouldn_ _'_ _t you hate them for abandoning you instead of taking care of you? You_ _'_ _re growing up without a dad or mom. No child should live like that._ _"_

" _I_ _'_ _m happy enough that I_ _'_ _m alive._ _"_ _Naruto said to the Fiamma._ _"_ _I may not know them, but I at least could thank them for making me live. I have friends and people that I think of as family with me. It's not so bad. And if you_ _'_ _re worried about me, why don_ _'_ _t you adopt me?_ _"_

" _I see. You make a good point._ _"_ _The man admitted._ _"_ _You_ _'_ _re a smart one, Naruto, but I can_ _'_ _t adopt you._ _"_

" _Why not?_ _"_

" _I would be a terrible father._ _"_ _The Fiamma answered._

" _No you wouldn_ _'_ _t._ _"_

 _The man patted Naruto_ _'_ _s head._ _"_ _You_ _'_ _re burning brightly as usual. I hope that when you find out who your parents are that you aren_ _'_ _t disappointed in them._ _"_ _He stood up from his crouched position, and was ready to walk out the door._

" _Why should I be disappointed in them?_ _"_ _Naruto asked a question one last time._

 _The man didn_ _'_ _t turn around to answer. When he did answer, his voice was hollow and lost._ _"_ _Because they failed in being parents._ _"_

"You are Naruto Fiamma." Pyrrha summarized softly. "You are Minato Fiamma's son. And you are the heir to the highest seat of the White Fang."

"…What?" He asked weakly. His voice broke. Pyrrha didn't need to look to know Naruto's defeated appearance. His control over his Aura waned. His hands ignited, but didn't burn. Red and orange flames mingled once more.

In other parts of the world, five rings lit aflame.

"I'm…I'm the leader of the White Fang? I…I'm a leader of a bunch of terrorists? Me, a janitor?!" His fingers clenched his kneecaps. Slowly, the flame changed in intensity. "That's the legacy I was left?"

Pyrrha fell to her knees, and hugged Naruto. She used her Aura to protect her from the heat of Naruto's flames. Naruto's emotions fueled the fire into a vibrant inferno. His frustrations were verbalized by a guttural roar of anguish. Still, Pyrrha did not let go. She had to stay there to console a lonely heart. "I'm sorry." She said to a Naruto on the verge of tears. Immediately, his flames stopped flowing out. "I'm sorry for bringing you pain, but you needed to know the truth."

"He couldn't tell me this himself back when he was alive?" Naruto set his forehead on Pyrrha's shoulder. "Idiot!" He said. "I was right there! He couldn't say it to my face?!"

Naruto didn't know what to feel. A myriad of emotions rushed at him. Anger was obvious. Confusion was next. But then there was sadness, disappointment, regret. Sadness was there because he never knew his father was there; his father never abandoned him. Disappointment because he thought his dad had a spine to spit out the truth. Regret because Naruto couldn't say his thanks to a father that offered time when Naruto needed it most. All those emotions and more mixed in, and failed to create one confusing, single emotion.

But he knew one thing from this: There was no use whining about something that already happened.

Sage's death was a tragedy. His father's death was an unfortunate happening. Both are events of the past, and should stay in the past. No point in wallowing when they aren't even alive anymore. He calmed down quickly through the use of deep breaths. He may not like it, but was a reality. The rings were proof of it. The different colored flames added on to its veracity as well. "Thank you, Pyrrha." He said to the girl that still embraced him. "Thank you for telling the truth."

Pyrrha unlocked her arms, then stood up. "You needed to know." She said.

"And you've said that enough times." Naruto pointed out. The young man stood up from his seat. "I'm going to Vale for a bit. If Yang's looking for me, tell her just that."

"Why?"

"You may have said the truth of what I am, but it's only one piece. I don't know the reason why I was abandoned." Pyrrha was about to answer. "To protect me is not a good enough reason. The leader of the White Fang was feared. His son was as well. The son of that first leader wasn't the man I knew. I knew a compassionate man instead." He clenched his left fist. "I want to know why my father didn't bring out his wrath on the people who overthrew him." He explained. "I don't know why the White Fang has become so tainted and misguided either. Heck, I don't know why I am being protected anymore."

"I can't give you those answers, but I can answer the last one." Pyrrha said to the janitor. "You are being protected because you are only a seventh of your power."

"A seventh?" Naruto repeated.

"Your ring bears the word 'Famiglia.' I've been told it's translated as family. A single person does not make a family." She answered simply. "A leader is not alone either. He has allies or those that would protect him. Guardians." She grabbed Naruto's arm, and showed him the ring once more. "My mother was the _Tempesta._ The Storm." She pointed a finger at Naruto. "You are the Sky. You have two of the seven."

"Seven?"

"Seven rings in hand to complete the set, but six people to assign them to." She explained. "Sky, Storm, Rain, Lightning, Cloud, Mist, and Sun. These are the seven flames of the Sky."

Naruto kept silent. His eyes narrowed. ' _Seven? Then why were there nine colored flames?_ ' He asked himself. He looked at the rings. ' _Two unknowns?_ ' He composed himself. "I'm going to need more information. To do that, I need another source: My caretaker, Lupa." He looked at the amazon, then smiled. "My thanks for the information, but I'm going!"

 _ **And that**_ _ **'**_ _ **s it. Hope you enjoyed. Not much else to say than what you**_ _ **'**_ _ **ve read is exactly that. No tricks or red herrings. Naruto is aware of his legacy thanks to Pyrrha. I say we**_ _ **'**_ _ **re about done with the first volume.**_

 _ **If anyone**_ _ **'**_ _ **s wondering about Jaune**_ _ **'**_ _ **s arc, then I have a plan on why it isn**_ _ **'**_ _ **t shown.**_

 _ **The finale of the first volume is right around the corner too.**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	19. A Not So Simple Explanation

_**New chappie! Plot and dialogue coming up!**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 17: A Not So Simple Explanation

Naruto walked at a leisurely pace as he headed to the orphanage. The way to his childhood home was familiar. He passed through several clubs (of different purposes), casinos, brothels, and secretive shops. Nocturnal businesses tied to sins were scarce of people at the noon hours. Few, if any, walked the streets. Those who did were pickpockets, the random passerby, vigilant paranoids, and so on. Simply put, the day to day monotony of the area.

He wondered how to go about getting info out of Lupa. The old lady could get pretty off topic if she wanted to, and Naruto kept falling for it as a child. Several methods came into mind, but the obvious, blunt way seemed to be the most effective in his head. Just demand. It was his right to know. There was no way she could deny him that information. His mind proceeded to wander some more.

Unfortunately, he wasn't able to think for long. "Naruto!" The young man turned to his right, and saw a pair of young women waved at him. One was in red, the other in white. They wore summer dresses. The one in white had a silvery-blue bow wrapped to her waist, while the other had a black one on the same area. The one in white had long, silky black hair. The other had short hair that reached down to the neck. He walked over to them, and got a clearer view.

"Oh. Mil, Mel. Long time no see. Not wearing your gaudy, bouncer outfits?" He looked closer. "No makeup or mascara either? Strange, but cute dresses. How's it going?" Naruto greeted with a lazy salute and smile. He got a stomp to his right foot as a return greeting. "Ow." He muttered. "Okay…what am I in trouble for now?" He asked.

"Not showing up from time to time!" The one in white, Mel (short for Melanie), chastised. She poked Naruto right at the sternum, and jabbed several times. "You jerk, you made us worry! Now we hear you've got a girl. A rich one at that!" The young woman in white kept speaking -ranting- about how ignorant Naruto could be. Said young woman's twin, the one in red, sighed.

"In my defense, I was working." Naruto said nonchalantly. "Beacon's campus is ridiculously large. Cleaning that up is demanding stuff."

"Ever the simple janitor. The pay must be stunning." The red one, Mil (short of Miltiades), said with mirth in her voice. Naruto laughed. "We're fine, Naruto. Melanie's just jealous."

"Thanks for giving me a proper answer, Mil!" Naruto smiled as he totally ignored Melanie's heel that stabbed at his left shoe. "Now as for that girl…Weiss Schnee isn't my girlfriend." Naruto explained bluntly.

Melanie removed her heel in shock. "What? B-But!"

"Yeah… She dragged me to the shopping district to make me look _presentable_ to my date. No, it's _not_ the Schnee." He said quickly for preemptive purposes. "My date was with someone else, and happened yesterday."

Curious, Melanie asked, "Was it great?"

Naruto thought about it deeply. "I _think_ I got to second base right before I dropped her off at her dorm room." The twins gawked. "Dunno why I deserved that kind of affection, but apparently a friend of mine said that it meant the date was a tremendous success."

"What did you do?" The twins asked in unison as they closed in on Naruto. Not sexually at all. Melanie grabbed Naruto's vest while Miltia proceeded to trip Naruto. Melanie flipped Naruto on his back, then sat on his chest. Miltia did as well for insurance. "No getting out of this one." The puffed their cheeks due to their latent jealousy.

"…" Naruto groaned. "This is _not_ elementary school anymore, Mil, Mel. You can't force me to spill the beans. I'm bigger than you two. I'm stronger than you two. And I know your weaknesses." The weak threat did not scare both young women away from him. "Though I must say…have you two gained weight?"

A bladed heel struck the ground just left of Naruto's head.

"…So you _did._ "

A pair of bladed claws struck the ground between Naruto's legs.

"So why is Junior's place broken?" Naruto asked.

"Blonde bimbo with shotgun gauntlets wrecked it." Melanie snarled. She hated that person with a passion. The twins' pay got slashed to double digits for a month in order to pay for repairs! Their only saving grace was Lupa, who was generous enough to open her orphanage to the two of them to get a decent (read: fattening) meal.

Naruto kept quiet about knowing the person, who coincidentally was the person he's dating.

"No Shizuo?" Naruto slyly changed the subject to a crazy bartender/bouncer.

"Day off." Mil explained.

"Ah…" Naruto nodded. "So that's why it's still standing."

Melanie huffed. "It's a miracle really. Had he been there, the foundations would have come undone. We don't need that kind of trouble." She crossed her arms. "Why can't our place ever be peaceful."

"Your place is a club led by an information broker with half-assed axe-gang rejects." Naruto said bluntly. The twins twitched at the harsh truth. "Your job and place of work are never going to be peaceful." A few silent moments passed. "Could you please get off me?"

"Not until you say what you did." The two of them said in sync.

"Stop with the synchronized speech." Naruto said. "It's creepy." When the girls made no motion to leave, he smacked the back of his head on the pavement. "You guys haven't changed your bratty ways…" He muttered. He heard the ground screech as the blades near his head and crown jewels inched closer to their specific targets. His fingers twitched. In one, fluid motion, Naruto poked Melanie's ticklish spot just underneath her armpits. The sudden attack sent her right into her sister, who was forced out of her position. With their butts off his body. Naruto rolled off like a rolling pin. He recovered by going into a sprinter's starting stance after he got enough distance from the two. "Well it's nice seeing you guys again, but I have places to be, and gottagobye!" Like a gun, he shot off into the distant horizon and headed for the orphanage.

* * *

The old caretaker of an orphanage lowered her cup of noon coffee. She watched as children crowded around Adam and his sword. The children wanted his mask. He happily gave it away to calm them down. His sword however was not handed over for obvious reasons. "Well Adam? The children are accepting of you it seems." Lupa said with small signs of amusement. "I'm quite surprised." She paused, and stared at the older generation of orphans that lived in the overcrowded building. "Though…the same can't be said for the some of grown ones."

Adam, unmasked, looked at Lupa with an unmarred face and a pair of burgundy eyes. "It's fine, Ma-"

"Call me Granny Lupa. No Madam or Lady. I've no need for titles like those anymore." The old woman interrupted with no room for discussion in her tone. "I've grown used to the affectionate name of Granny so you will call me as such. Understood?"

Adam sighed. "Right…Granny. Like I said, it's fine. I was part of the White Fang; I should not be trusted easily by those with common sense."

"Then it's a good thing you're around lunatics." The elderly woman casually remarked. "The children hardly see you as a threat. The others will come along. They trust you enough to cut you down where you stand if you misbehave. Me included." Adam wasn't relieved by that statement. But the caretaker could break him multiple ways; he'd rather not fight against her and her capable residents. One against many skilled fighters would be a problem for him. Especially if they were trained by Lupa.

"I hope so." Adam said. "I truly wish to atone. And to be truly forgiven, I need to apologize to his son."

"Us adults all need to be forgiven." Lupa said calmly. "We hid this from him all his life. For his safety." Her voice was low. "It's why I trained him later on. Though I respect Secondo's wish of secrecy for his son, that is not enough. Naruto needed to learn how to defend himself." She explained. "Vague hints to his Aura were given. I'm sure he's forgotten about them, and is acting on the experience of Primo and Secondo."

"With your training, I'm sure he's formidable." Adam complimented.

"He is." Lupa agreed. "I expect nothing less from the future leader of the White Fang. However, that being said, he is brash and unrefined." She stared off into the front windows, where the ocean ebbed and flowed into the craggy rocks a kilometer away.

She remembered training Naruto in response to the awakening and instantaneous inactivity of his Aura. They went to those craggy rocks to make him fight on all kinds of terrain by first learning how to traverse whatever was in the vicinity. His agility came from that training. Next came the time he learned to dodge and block in the same terrains to refine his reflexes and train the muscles to improve agility and durability. Poor child was black and blue all over every time by the end of the day.

The father could not help but berate her due to her spartan methods and the condition his son was constantly left in. Despite that, he was also impressed. His son never gave up the training. He got back up again with each fall. He ignored the scrapes and bruises he got only to get more. Effort that almost reached the point of death was admirable for Fiamma standards.

It was the Semblance of the Fiamma line: The ability to surpass limits if fueled by a dying will. With seven set of flames, which had different properties, the Fiamma only wielded the Sky flame. The souls of the Fiamma occupied these multicolored flames to pass them on to their guardians. No one knew how the origin of this Semblance came to be. Some say that due to the distinct variety in the properties of the flames, they could be thought of as magic.

If one were to think about it. All those flames were hidden in one person. Storm's disintegration, Rain's tranquility, Lightning's hardening, Sun's activation, Cloud's propagation, Mist's illusions…all of them, if they could be used by the Fiamma, then it would be a glimpse of what the 'M' word could possibly be: a force of nature.

Lupa's mind wandered. ' _I_ _'_ _m sure the others have attempted it. Sky_ _'_ _s trait of harmony should allow Primo and Secondo knowledge on proper usage of the other flames. In theory, the Fiamma had that potential, but none of them actually used it._ '

"What's the young lord like?" Adam asked.

"Quite determined if he puts his mind into something." Lupa said without hesitation. "Usually calm as possible, but headstrong at times." She paused. "His style of dislocating limbs portrays the calm and precise. But then, he resorts to all-out brawl with a preference to counters; easily shows his headstrong side. There's also bouts of idiocy here and there that either become a spark of genius or luck." She took a sip of her coffee before continuing. "A bit modest due to his lack of self-worth. He's getting help from friends at Beacon. He's steadily learning to be a bit more proud. Hopefully that doesn't lead to cockiness."

"It sounds like he's growing up."

"It does." Lupa agreed. "He's his own person now." She said. "I know it's inevitable that he will know the truth, but there was a piece of me that thought how great it would be to free Naruto of the shackles of his blood." She sighed. "Then again, there is that one constant."

Adam raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

"Naruto, just like his father and grandfather, cannot abandon his friends." Lupa answered. "If he leads again, the White Fang would return to the way was: a force that leads to coexistence. Can you, who accepted the path of destruction, accept this and be the _Tempesta_ guardian?" Adam was stared at by steely orbs of burgundy. "I know why you turned your back on the Fiamma. Naruto is likely to do the same; he's like his father in that regard: compassionate for both races."

"If he does, then I can't see myself as his Guardian." Adam replied without hesitation. He stood up. "Secondo's _compassion_ made him inactive to the discrimination that was happening right in front of his face. His _laissez-faire_ approach made me lose respect of him."

Lupa chuckled. "Ah…the traits of a bull come out." She said. Adam took offense to that, and slammed a hand on the table. "Now, now, Taurus. It's only natural you would like to see action. It's why you became a general to the new White Fang regime." She stood up to meet eye-to-eye with the younger Faunus. "You wanted change. You wanted change that you could see with your own eyes. You believed what you see." She explained. "You detested politics because it was something that you couldn't see for your own eyes. Secondo is completely opposite of lazy. The laws Secondo have made with the United Council of Remnant made the lives of Faunus much more tolerable, but you couldn't see it."

"What are you talking about?" Adam demanded. "He did nothing! He wasted his time talking instead of doing something!"

Lupa went to technicality. "He talked. That's something. Unlike you and your people's efforts, he made laws that would benefit in the long run, not immediately. What you did was attempt to destroy the Secondo's efforts to eradicate discrimination from its roots." She turned around, and refilled her cup of coffee. "In each Kingdom, Faunus orphans must be taken care of in unprejudiced orphanages or foster homes. The definition of raising them meant raising them in a healthy place of living and that the children are happy."

"Your orphanage is barely getting by." Adam commented at he watched the building's aged appearance.

"The payments allow for monthly necessities like Dust." Lupa explained. "The adults send me checks every now and then to help out."

"You and the children can't live like this." Adam said. "You're making them work at such a young age. It's child labor!"

"They chose this." Lupa said. "They wanted to help out. I can't blame them. Naruto was pretty convincing when he said he would leave school to work."

"He's uneducated?!"

"By choice. Ozpin allowed Naruto's employment only if Naruto made strides to better his knowledge."

"Still…I can't accept that. To think the heir is living the life unfit for his position!"

"You can't change it anymore." Lupa reminded Adam. She returned to the topic at hand. "Anyways, the law I mentioned required bi-monthly visits by a representative of the government are required in order to show the government and the orphanages and foster homes are abiding to the law. And to insure false reports, the representative is an unbiased or friendly individual. In the precautionary event that the representative is a liar…he or she is accompanied by a Huntsman or Huntress who works well with Faunus during the inspection."

"…"

"Another law is that young Faunus, when they enter school, are given mandatory self-defense classes by a trained Huntsman or Huntress." Lupa cited another law. "They are taught not to raise a hand until bodily harm is done." Adam was about to speak. "Verbal harassment issues are conducted with an unbiased counselor. In Combat Schools, if this is a problem, then the instigator, whether it be Human or Faunus, is given attitude correction sessions. The sooner the student gets it into his or her head that he or she will inevitably work with a Human or Faunus in dangerous situations where they need each other's support later on, the better. If the attitude correction fails, then they are expelled from school."

"Nonsense…" Adam said. "These laws…what good will they do?"

"Coexistence doesn't happen in an instant." Lupa said bluntly. "Primo and Secondo did what they could so that the next generation had an easier time doing what was deemed impossible by both races. Primo united the Faunus. Secondo planted the seeds of indiscrimination in educational institutions. The laws in addition to the two I mentioned have made the Faunus children's lives in this orphanage and around the world better than it used to be thirty years ago." Lupa paused. "Naruto…I'm not sure what he'll do, but if he does become the leader, I'm sure he'll do anything to make the lives of Faunus easier."

"You're dealing in fallacies." Adam scoffed. "Naruto has been raised differently. Who's to say that he will do the opposite? You said it yourself, he's his own person." Lupa kept silent to listen to Adam's argument. "Who's to say that he'll do things differently compared to his predecessors? What if he realizes that there's not enough action?"

"Naruto will know when the time for action is needed." Lupa said simply.

"How can you be sure?" Adam asked. "You basically told me that he's incapable or at least unsure about becoming the leader of the White Fang."

"Primo and Secondo did what they did because they followed their traits as a lion." Lupa answered. Adam did not know what to say to that. "Leading, male lions do what they need to do, but let everyone else do most of the work. Sounds stupid, sure. But think about it…who did you find more active? Secondo or his Guardians? Secondo let his people do what they want for the purpose of getting by on their own. He wasn't coddling them, nor was he ignoring them. When it came down to it, why do you think these laws came to pass?"

"…I don't understand where you're getting at." Adam said lowly.

"When a Pride of lions is attacked or invaded, who came to defend it?" Lupa asked. "The leader." She answered. "I've personally seen how these laws were accepted. Secondo may not have shown his imposing character during his time leading, but when the politicians jeered at the Faunus race…" She trailed off. Adam wasn't that stupid. "It was through his firm resolve that he got those two laws and several others in place to make the next generation's lives easier than before."

Adam sat back down.

"Do you still think you can be the _Tempesta_? Or are you reconsidering your resolve?" Lupa asked. "If you do become one of his Guardians, you will be a Guardian who draws his sword only by his command. You said it yourself." She pointed it out for Adam to hear his hypocrisy. False resolve would not make Adam a Guardian. She needed to pull Adam's fears right from the root.

Adam bit his tongue. Despite his words, his doubts were clearly expressed. Even now, it seemed that he couldn't trust the actions of a Fiamma. He detested himself for it. Even if he was willing to break away from the militant White Fang, he still doubted the person that would be its head solely because of the previous one's actions. It seemed that old, bitter feelings still resided in him.

Lupa saw the internal conflict in Adam's eyes. She smirked. She needed for him to think. Adam was a man whose actions was dictated by his own emotions. It's why he turned away from the Fiamma family. "Even I know I can't hold back my urge to fight if these children of mine are in danger. You, who cares for the Faunus as a whole…do you think you can hold back at even the slightest sign of discrimination?"

"…I may not, but I will try for the sake of our people." Adam's hesitant response was unlike him.

That was the answer she needed. There may be doubt in those words, but they were words of change. Change was something all members of the Taurus family vehemently hated. They especially hated change it if it's targeted to their character. It was acceptable only when it was something they want to change for themselves. They were straightforward and earnest. Loyal to a cause they believed in. If Adam was willing to change, he was perfect for the role of the Fiamma's right-hand man.

"Don't worry. He's as much bullheaded as you are for equality." Lupa said. "Naruto himself hates the injustice of this world, but does it in a way that doesn't paint the Faunus in a bad light. You on the other hand…" Lupa smirked. Adam crossed his arms. He was played. By an old woman no less. "He's young and prone to come across trouble he can't ignore. It's why he gets in trouble with the law for beating up gangsters, aggressive racists, and among other things. He's an unintentional vigilante. That's why he'll need his Guardians; he stirs up more trouble than his predecessors."

"I'll see to it that I'm capable enough." Adam answered.

* * *

Naruto opened a door. Immediately, his eyes saw a stranger in the hallway. The stranger wore black and some red. On his person was a sword and…

A man-made Grimm mask on his face. White Fang.

A fist struck the stranger's face. The force of the punch threw the man off balance. Hands grabbed him, then sent his back to the floor. Both hands grasped the man's jacket, and threw him out the door rolling. The man recovered from the blitz. He went into a stance with his sword ready to fly off the scabbard.

The attacker, Naruto, eyed the stranger. He readied himself for a fight by going into a generic stance with his fists in front of him. "To think the White Fang would stoop this low! Who the hell do you think you are, bastard?!" Naruto demanded. "Why are you here?! To kill the innocent women and children?!" His ring lit up, and out came Cielo Fiamma in its full, blazing glory. Flames coated his hands. "Face me!" He charged straight into battle.

The swordsman pulled his sword out in a flash.

Naruto ducked right under the moment he sensed danger. His shoes scratched the surface of the ground as he skidded right into punching range. His right elbow thruster ignited, and sent the fist he made onto the White Fang's ribs on the left. The impact was enough to send the White Fang member flying; however, Naruto latched onto the man's left hand to pull him in for the next attack. Naruto sent a high-speed, spinning backfist to the man's cranium.

"You exposed your back." The man muttered.

Naruto froze when he felt the scabbard touch his back. His mind screamed to use Aura to block it, but he didn't. He crouched, and instinctively called his Aura to his feet. He jumped. At that instant, flames ejected off Naruto's right foot. He motioned his body to flip forward. The flaming foot arced up, and smacked the gun/scabbard right onto the White Fang member's mask. Naruto landed, then turned to the enemy, who backed away due to the surprise. He dashed right in. Swift thrusts of the gleaming, red blade were marginally dodged.

Naruto didn't know how, but he felt every hit was meant to be fatal. And to prevent injury, his body forced him to react instantaneously in response to the danger. He couldn't even see the thrusts of the sword until the point went past the left or right side of his head.

The sword arm spun around like a wheel. The blade arced up, behind, then below with sharp end facing Naruto. The blond responded with a quick redirection of the attack by simply tapping the hand off to his left. As soon as the threat came to pass, he grabbed the enemy's right bicep.

To counter, Naruto's opponent stepped on his right foot. "Foolish." The man spoke. The left hand that held the scabbard lashed out. "Reckless!" The end of the scabbard struck Naruto's exposed left armpit. The man twirled his index finger in the trigger guard, then slammed it atop Naruto's shoulders. "For all your awareness…" With a firm grip, the man swiftly smacked Naruto's left cheek as if it were a sword. "…You lack defense!" The force should have made Naruto fall face first had he not refused to let go of his opponent. This only made it easier for the man to keep attacking. Three strikes his Naruto's right side. An impact to the knee momentarily disabled Naruto. A fracturing beat relieved Naruto of much needed air. The final strike landed at the sternum. Naruto noticed the barrel was pointed at him, and chose to use his Aura for defense. His body recoiled back slightly.

The man chose to use a killing blow. He pulled back his right arm, and pointed the end of his blade right toward's Naruto's kidney.

But Naruto wasn't going down that easily. Naruto tightened his grip on the right bicep, then protected his body by parrying the blade. He slid down to his opponent's legs. His free arm slung in between the White Fang member's legs, then grabbed onto the right leg. His feet in place, he stood up into a Fireman's carry only to chuck his enemy headfirst into the ground. Unfortunately, the desire effect didn't occur. The man rolled upon hitting the ground. He instantly turned around to send a swift slash. The man sheathed his sword again, then charged.

Naruto felt danger in the form of a swift and fatal blow. Quickly, he used his right foot, and stomped on the man's right hand. Naruto pushed his foot to the left as soon as his foot made contact. The result was a miss. The attack carved the ground to Naruto's left.

The blond set his left foot on fire on instinct. He spun, and sent the blazing foot skywards. "Now who's lacking defense?!" Naruto asked cheekily. The heel struck the back of the man's neck. Such force sent the man's head down to the ground, and bounce up like a ball. Debilitated by the axe kick, he could not stop the two palm strikes to his gut, and the sudden uppercut to his chin. "Time to knock you out!" His right hand burned into a firestorm. The inferno in his hands condensed into a sphere. Like a muscle, Naruto remembered the steps, and completed the attack's form. He sent the sphere down on the man's chest, and pinned him to the ground.

The ground caved to the power of the attack. Fire spurted out of the spiral cracks that formed. The fight ended in a fiery explosion.

"You're the foolish one here, White Fang scum." Naruto said calmly. "You think you can come to my home, and expect no one to retaliate? Wrong." The blond stood up from his defeated opponent. His flames were willingly snuffed out. "Get out of here before I actually kill you with my next blow." He threatened.

"What did I tell you, Taurus?" Lupa asked from the door of the orphanage. "Just as hasty. Granted, he's still immature, but he's one of visible action unlike his predecessors."

Naruto was stunned. His caretaker was talking casually with the man stuck on the ground. "Granny! What's the meaning of this?"

"Naruto…" Lupa closed her eyes. "I think it's time I told you the truth of your birth."

Naruto went silent when truth was mentioned. "You mean regarding the fact that I'm the one who's supposed to inherit the position as leader of the White Fang?" Naruto asked lowly. To any Faunus ear, they would hear what he said. And to the two most important Faunus other than Naruto, the revelation that Naruto knew shocked them. Their faces probably showed astonishment since Naruto's next words were, "Surprised? Apparently, the previous _Tempesta_ grew tired of the cloak-and-dagger approach you people were doing regarding my heritage, my blood, and my dad." He pulled out the _Tempesta_ ring. "The lady's own daughter had to give this ring to me, and spat out the truth that my life is in danger for the very reason that I'm connected to the White Fang's previous leader." He paused. "The Guardians, the rings, the flames, I know them all. But what I don't know is why my dad hid me from the world."

He stepped up to his caretaker with flames activated. "So tell me, Granny. Explain what I'm missing." His appearance would have looked imposing had Lupa not seen her fair share of death stares. Though it wouldn't make the explanation any easier.

The woman passed him, and effortlessly lifted the man stuck in the superheated ground. "We'll talk inside. I'm sure the others will come to see the commotion you made, Naruto." The blond wasn't that worried. There were more important things to focus on.

"Why are you bringing him in?" Naruto asked as his flames dispersed.

"He'll help explain."

* * *

"You're taking this idea that you're the next leader of the White Fang extraordinarily well." Lupa commented.

"I've made my peace with it." Naruto said. "No use whining about it."

"…Very well." Lupa found no use talking about Naruto's feelings about the situation anymore.

"So you're telling me this guy helped kill my dad?" Naruto stared at Adam's defeated appearance."I'm guessing he's here to apologize." It was more statement than a question. From what Lupa explained about why Adam was here, it was a logical assumption. It explained why the swordsman clearly held back. The man had many chances to land a killing blow, but none were taken. No one visibly reacted. He stood up from his chair. "I see… So to ask for forgiveness, he wants to be a Guardian. _Tempesta_ Guardian to be exact." The wolf and bull were speechless. Naruto was guessing the right things without any assistance of information. This kind of one-sided conversation only happened when a Fiamma was pissed off. Hyper-intuition, a skill that heightens one's perception to monstrous amounts, was in play. Lupa only heard this from Minato when he was angry at the racist politicians. It was amusing to see, but unnerving on the receiving end. "And he thinks he can do that by leading those who are loyal to my family out of the White Fang, promises to change his ways, and…say sorry."

Adam chose the time to speak. "I expect-"

Naruto grabbed Adam's jacket. "You expect what, Taurus?" He asked. "If you _expect_ that I hand over the ring and make you my _Tempesta_ Guardian, then you're sorely mistaken."

"I expect you to not do that." Adam said with no sign of retaliating against his lord. "If I'm to become a Guardian, I'll do it by earning your trust. I've sinned against your family; I've tarnished the name of the Fiamma; and I've no right to even speak to you like this. But I must to show you my resolve to change." His eyes showed his conviction to this words. He would earn his trust.

"And if I don't believe you?" Naruto asked. "If I'm not forgiving you for the death of my dad and family… What will you do?"

"Then I'll gladly kill myself as payment for my transgressions to your family." Adam said without hesitation. "A life to offer to those that passed."

Naruto looked at Adam's unshakeable, burgundy eyes. He sensed no deception from him. All of it was truth. He could tell that the man he held in his hands was stubborn and loyal to a fault if given good reason. To Naruto, that was insulting. "You think offering your life up to those that aren't among the living is enough?!" He demanded. "Idiot!" He pulled Adam to the wall on his left. "There's no need for your blood to spill in this home! If you really want my trust, _earn_ it like you said you would."

"Let him go, Naruto." Lupa ordered.

Naruto released his hold on Adam. "I need six guardians for the remaining six rings." He opened his palms. "You said he's a candidate. Who are the others that can be the _Tempesta_?"

"The one you're friends with. I believe her name was Ruby." Lupa answered.

"What?" Naruto couldn't believe what his ears heard. "Why her? What makes her capable?"

"Her style of fighting is what the core of a _Tempesta_ _'_ _s_ style should be: The storm that never stops its assault." Lupa answered. "She can fight close and long-ranged. She doesn't need to stop her attacks. And with the _Tempesta_ _'_ _s_ trait, her enemies can disintegrate into nothing. Provided she's determined to kill for you. Which leads to the next trait, undying loyalty."

"And what makes you think I'll chose her?" Naruto asked the old lady. "She's innocent; there's no point in bringing her into the world of criminals."

The woman scoffed. "She's training to be a Huntress. She already has her foot in the door."

Naruto couldn't argue with that logic. Ruby would fight against criminals sooner or later if she hadn't yet. "It's still my choice whether or not she becomes my Guardian." He said. "But a question, Granny. Why do I have these flames?" He closed his eyes, and concentrated on the other flames. Red, blue, yellow, green, indigo, purple: The six other flames that resided in a Fiamma. But the next two silenced them. White and Black.

"Impossible…" Adam muttered. "The Semblance changed to accommodate two new flames? Two new potential Guardians?"

"It seems to be that way." Lupa said. "Do you know what they can do, Naruto?" She asked the wielder of the new flames.

"No." Naruto answered. "But I'll try." He concentrated on the white flame first. The room bathed in white flames. Objects around Naruto started to float about. The older pair of Faunus realized it had to do with affecting gravity in some way. Next came the black flames. In an instant, the room became disorganized. There was no table separating Naruto from Adam and Lupa. The chairs were in different corners. The paintings on the wall were either on the floor or even leaning against a window. The black flames were capable of warping space.

' _It seems my theory is right. A Fiamma_ can _use the other flames._ ' Lupa thought. "Gravity and Warp. Two traits that deal with things far beyond the sky." Lupa smirked. She had idle thoughts about more Guardians. There were many things that could be associated with the sky after all. Snow, moon, stars, meteor, night, aurora, and other things she couldn't think of right off the top of her head. At the moment, two appropriate names for these flames came to mind. "The white flame shall be called Moon flame, while the black flame shall be called Night flame."

"How out-of-this-world. Appropriate." Adam quipped. Lupa smacked the swordsman.

Naruto felt satisfied with the names and revelation that these two additions were completely unknown. Two new Guardians. But what about the rings? That could be addressed later. For the lack of information on them, it was sufficient enough to move on to the next topic. "Now that we got that part out of the way. Why was-"

"You want to know why your father left you in my care?" Lupa asked for him. "Simple. You bear Cielo Fiamma, you're your father's son, and you're not a full Faunus."

"Is Cielo Fiamma the sign of leadership to the White Fang?" Naruto questioned. "I'm sure it's important, but I doubt its a physical regalia of a Fiamma."

"You're wrong on that assumption, Naruto." Adam said. "'He who bears Cielo Fiamma is the leader.' That is what Primo decided as the inheritance system."

"Isn't that pointing to favoritism?"

"Have anyone tried to pull off your ring for less than noble intentions?" The man asked.

Naruto nodded. "It heats up like crazy, and blisters the offender's skin."

"It's for that very reason." Adam pointed to the ring. "Cielo Fiamma is akin to Caliburn, the sword that chooses the king. It chooses its bearer from those with Fiamma blood. Since you're the only Fiamma and uphold the general beliefs of Primo and Secondo, you are able to wield that ring."

"Then what did Granny mean about being his son? Sounds more like an insult."

"Your father and your grandfather ruled by promoting coexistence." Adam said. "Granny Lupa told me that you're like them. You too wish for understanding between races." Naruto found himself nodding at the statement. "What that means is that it goes against the current White Fang's interest. The current White Fang are ruled under an elitist mentality." Adam paused. "I myself fell victim to that mentality, and I regret ever tasting the forbidden fruit."

"That aside, it means they don't want to return to a time of attempted coexistence, where progress appeared to be as slow as a snail." Lupa summarized.

Naruto found the summary enough. "And what about that last part?"

"Elitist and conservative elders refuse interracial relationships and births." Adam answered as he crossed his arms. "You were a product of a Faunus father and a Human mother in a premarital relationship." Naruto wanted to say something, but with his lack of information, he couldn't make assumptions. Adam continued to speak. "Even if your parents were to get married, you would fall victim to countless assassination attempts for the sole reason your blood is 'tainted.'"

Lupa chimed in with the conclusion. "Your father saw this possibility, and chose to leave you in my care. He gave me Cielo Fiamma until the time was right for you to carry it. Though that did not obviously mean he didn't come to visit you. Every time he visited, he risked exposing you. Regardless, he did it because he wanted to see his son."

"And it was at that point that everything went downhill." Adam muttered. "Belief in your father dwindled due to the loss of his symbol of power. His priority over discussions with Humans isolated him from his people. The more he strove to make the world a better place for the next generation, the more the White Fang distrusted your father. I was one of them. When the White Fang found out about you, the plot to kill your father started. If the last scion of the Secondo Fiamma was a half-blood, then better off that we killed the Secondo to rid us of Fiamma influence."

Naruto paused to take all of the information in. During the way here, he felt that his dad never meant to leave him. His dad chose to sacrifice it all for the son. He couldn't hate his father for doing that. His dad may have lied to him in his face, but for the sake of his life. "So it snowballed to the point that the White Fang revolted." Naruto stated. "Then what about the cause of it all?"

Adam and Lupa became puzzled at the deliberately vague question. The former chose to ask, "What do you mean by that?"

"You've been telling me all about my dad. What about the one who gave birth to me? Who's my mom?" The bull and wolf turned to each other. Their reluctant faces show it all. "You don't know… I suppose that's reasonable. I guess even dad wanted to protect her from the wrath of the White Fang." He turned his back on the two older Faunus to stare at Beacon in the distance. "Was there any hint at least?" He didn't get an answer.

However, Lupa shuffled around her desk in search of something. She went to Naruto once she got what she wanted. An envelope was gently placed in Naruto's hands. "You father left a letter for you to read when you found out. I haven't read it of course. It's a private thing meant for the eyes of the son."

The young man stared at the aged envelope in his hands. He was unsure of what to feel in the moment. There was too much to process, yet simple enough to understand. The incoming revelation from his dad's letter would only supply more of that information and more of mixed emotions.

"What will you do?" Lupa asked.

 _ **And that**_ _ **'**_ _ **s it folks! This is the end of the chapter. Hope this info dump served some purpose. And look what I got out of it: characterization for my interpretation of Adam, characterization for Minato, some world building, and a fight! So yeah**_ _ **…**_ _ **not all boring talk.**_

 _ **Now to address why Naruto attacked first. White Fang were going to kill him. White Fang was at his home. Preemptive strike. Bam. Kill or be killed mentality. Which makes sense considering that**_ _ **'**_ _ **s basically the situation of all fights he fought in -without the killing part.**_

 _ **And yes, the question of who**_ _ **'**_ _ **s Naruto**_ _ **'**_ _ **s mom**_ _ **…**_ _ **will be answered next chapter. Or not. Or never. I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t know.**_

 _ **And for the people who requested a reading of this story. I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t know what to say to that. Is it really that worthy of a reading? I mean sure many of you readers have expressed your enjoyment for the story, but is it worthy? I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m fine with a yes or no. And if it**_ _ **'**_ _ **s a yes, it**_ _ **'**_ _ **s free game. Whoever wants to do a reading for this story can PM me about it. I probably can**_ _ **'**_ _ **t do it justice, so I**_ _ **'**_ _ **ll leave it in someone else**_ _ **'**_ _ **s capable hands.**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	20. A Simple Spark

_**Well most of you people say yes to a reading, but no one**_ _ **'**_ _ **s taking the offer to write it. At least I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m happy for the support. Though it won**_ _ **'**_ _ **t mean anything for now since I nor any one else plan to write it. Again, the offer still stands for someone to write it. All I ask is that you stick to canon personalities of the RWBY cast as close as possible. If no one takes it, I'll see it if there's a chance for me to do it later on.**_

 _ **The college life is back, so updates will be delayed further. Sorry about that.**_

 _ **Anyways, time for another chapter.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 18: A Simple Spark

" _What will you do?_ _"_

Naruto looked at the letter in his hands. It had been a week since then. Unopened, the letter that contained answers that constantly teased Naruto. Yet every day ever since Naruto obtained the letter, he resisted the urge to look into it. He didn't know why, but it felt like unearthing his mother's identity would lead to uncomfortable questions. He returned the letter back into his pocket. There were far more pressing matters to attend to.

"You still want to do this, Jaune?" Naruto asked the haggard young man in front of him. "We can stop you know."

Jaune stood up and panted as he cradled his sore chin. "Nah… Few more." He grunted out. "I need to…stand my ground!" He stood straight, and faced Naruto. "Come on!"

And Jaune's nightly training for one was important. The Arc asked a favor to help improve the student's durability and form. In the words of Jaune… he said he, "Didn't want to be a laughingstock, and be pushed around like a doll anymore." So Naruto helped. The method of training: stand there and take the hit. And what sessions they were. Jaune told Naruto to not hold back his punches, and every time Naruto did as requested, the student skidded to the other part of the roof. Naruto had to wonder what changed. Previously, Jaune refused to budge under Naruto's assault the day Naruto's Aura resurfaced.

Yet…each time Jaune suffered against a punch, the young man acclimated. The distance caused by Naruto's punch decreased with each powerful punch sent Jaune's way. "You're about to go in the red, Jaune. I don't want your face to cave in. Not a good sight…"

"I don't care!" Jaune shouted. "I don't want to be pushed around anymore. I need to get stronger! As strong as you!" He explained. "I don't want to fall to my knees without trying."

Naruto placed his hands on his hips as he watched the stubborn student that oddly reminded Naruto of himself when Lupa trained him. Echoes of a child's unyielding shout rang in Naruto's head. Metaphorical phantom pains stung Naruto's body. "Well then…I can't deny someone with a will of iron. Let's see you try to keep standing with this!" He cocked his right fist back, and let loose a pillar of flame out of the thruster of the right gauntlet. "You _might_ want to use your shield for this one, Jaune." He suggested.

Jaune did as suggested. The stark white heater shield came in front of the young man's body. His feet spread apart and bent at the knees. His kicking foot became his support, stationed behind the restive his body. His sword hand supported his shield hand with the intent of solely defending himself from Naruto's punch. Jaune focused on his Aura, and ordered his soul to give its all to defend and repel the attack. He calmed himself and remembered the mantra of the Arc family.

 _Steadfast, my body._

 _Root my feet to the ground._

 _Let my footfalls be nonexistent_

 _For an Arc never moves;_

 _Never toward with overwhelming force._

 _Never away from unyielding threats._

The Arc emblem on the shield eerily glowed. Naruto looked puzzled by the golden shine, but he still kept charging the attack. The thunderous noise silenced Jaune's mantra. "Get ready, Jaune. My right smashes through some sturdy defenses!" Naruto's fist rocketed towards Jaune's shield, and made contact with violent force.

Flames lit up the roof. The roof exploded from Naruto's punch. Yet oddly enough, it was intact. Even stranger, Naruto was the one flying away instead of Jaune. And much to both young men's surprise, Naruto flew _a lot_ farther than expected. Naruto was blown away from the rooftop.

"Um…" Jaune was absolutely speechless. "What was _that_?" He asked himself. His mind, cluttered by the blathering of what happened, distracted him from Naruto's tipsy flying and subpar landing. Only when Naruto landed with a resounding thud did Jaune notice Naruto's _impeccable_ skills as an aviator. The blond flyer landed knees first on the roof. Basically, Naruto powerslid into a stop. "I see you're having trouble, Naruto." He remarked without sounding cocky.

"Hey-Hey Mr. Wobbufett. It's one thing to fly...on the fly, but it's another thing when actually flying!" Naruto explained his blunder as he stood up from the roof's floor. Jaune looked confused. Naruto sighed. "Adrenaline does wonders to the body when it's in 'Do or die' mode." He dusted off his pants, and continued to explain the sensation of his flying. "In a fight, I'm fine because it felt like I was being guided by someone; my body is on autopilot. As you saw, conscious flying is still not something I can handle yet, so sue me for trying to fly."

Jaune wasn't buying it. "Uhuh…right. Admit it you screwed up." He said to the janitor.

"Do _you_ want to learn how to fly, farm boy?" Naruto asked with a smile accompanied by knuckle-popping sounds.

"N-No thanks!" Jaune stuttered out to save himself.

Naruto lowered his hands. "So I guess we know your Semblance." He said.

"W-What do you mean by that?" Jaune asked.

"Think fast." Naruto said as he snapped his fingers. As soon as Jaune heard the noise, he held his shield up. The most notable result was that Jaune wasn't blown away yet again. The other result was that Naruto's attack visibly bounced off, and flew into the night sky.

"Hey!" Jaune shouted in annoyance. "That could have killed me!"

Naruto wasn't even looking at Jaune. The former focused on the firework in the distance. "Hm… At it's basic form…your Semblance is reflection." Naruto explained. "Though it seems there's more to it." Jaune looked confused. Naruto needed to expand on the idea, but didn't know how to go about doing it. He paced around left and right. "It's like…you curve my attacks. You change the way it goes. Never bounces off straight like a bullet."

Jaune returned his sword into its scabbard. "You mean I can change the trajectory of whatever hits me?"

"Yeah. Sure. What you said." Naruto answered since he wasn't sure how to sound smart about it. He turned around to look at Jaune's less than stellar appearance. "When I punched you, you sent me flying up and away instead of directly away from you. I guess that means you can change an attack's direction too." Naruto smiled, then said, "It was totally awesome! I bet you would have sent me to the other side of Vale if you had better control of it." That said, he walked up to Jaune, and patted the young man's shoulder. "I guess you're done with me. I made you more durable. Ask your partner for pointers here on out. She would probably be less of a bruiser than I am."

"Sure." Jaune replied. Naruto walked away from Jaune, who stared at the reflected destruction in from of him. "Amazing…" Jaune muttered to himself. When done with his internal gushing due to his moment of coolness, he patted his clothes. During the process, he noticed that a letter fell on the ground. "Hey, Naruto? This yours?"

Thankfully, the young man wasn't already inside the building. Naruto turned around to see what Jaune wanted. A letter was in Jaune's hands. "Oh! Thanks!" Naruto grabbed the envelope much quicker than one would expect, and hid it in one of his pockets.

Jaune noticed the uneasiness and panic in Naruto's facial expression, but chose not to butt in. "Must be pretty important, huh? But it's pretty old from the looks of it. A letter that wasn't given to you for quite some time?" Naruto wordlessly nodded. Jaune noticed the reluctant gaze in Naruto's expression. The young knight shook his head. "It's better I don't ask. It's a personal matter, right? I'll get out of your hair." The Arc looked up at the moon to show his respect for Naruto's privacy. Jaune said, "It's better to read it as soon as possible. If the seal is barely on, then the words might be faded by now."

"I'll keep that in mind." Naruto noted. "Nice moon out tonight wouldn't you say? Why not call your partner here for some one on one privacy?" He suggested and ended with a smirk. "The night is young, why not have her treat your wounds?" He let out a tiny chuckle as he left the roof. All the while, he heard Jaune's sputtering form of denial. "G'night, Jaune." Naruto waved and completely ignored the knight's words. The sound of a shut door ended whatever further protest Jaune had.

* * *

Qrow and several other people stood around a round table. Of the six meant to be here, one was missing. The drunk Cloud guardian chose to ask. "Where's Kushina?"

"She rescinded her position as _Tempesta_." A man with a mask covering his mouth said lazily. Said man took a seat. "She said she gave away the ring to her daughter so that the daughter could spill the beans and give the ring to the Fiamma." The man leaned back on his chair. "How do you not know this? You're stationed in Vale for crying out loud."

Qrow raised an eyebrow. "You guys knew?!"

Everyone took a seat. "Ever the drifting cloud you are, Qrow." Muttered another member. This one was a busty brunette who palmed her face at the man's inability to get the latest news. "Everyone knew except you."

"Mei... Really?!" Qrow slammed a fist on the table. "I have a right to know too guys." He pulled out his Scroll, and pointed to the button at the bottom of the device. "See _that_? _That_ _'_ _s_ the _SEND_ button." Every set of eyes looked at him as if he was an idiot. The drunk shrugged his shoulders. "What? Don't give me that look, guys. Communication is a two-way street! If there's news, then you better send me something so that I can reply to it."

A blonde woman took a swig of her bottle of alcohol, then slammed it down on the table. " _Moron_. If you gave us your number in the first place, we would have contacted you about it! Thanks to your _forever-drunk_ status, you forgot to give us your contact number." The woman presented her ring, one with a golden gem fixated on the metal. "The only way we can contact you is with the resonance factor of the damn rings! And even then you show up _half_ the time because of your noble duties as part of that Brotherhood led by that casual observer."

Qrow was slightly ashamed of the miniature oversight. "Okay. My bad." He raised his hands in defeat. The answer seemed to tranquilize any further jabs at him. "And please, don't go off badmouthing Oz again, Slug Princess. I'm in that organization for a reason. Protecting the world from the shadows is just a perk."

"Never mind that." The last of the group said. "Have you found Summer?" She asked seriously.

The man looked down. "No." Qrow replied. "All my time there, and I still haven't heard anything of Summer. Even with the resources of the Brotherhood, I can't find her. No one can find her."

"We have to uphold the oath, Qrow. Remember why we have these gifts. We need to find Summer." The same person crossed her arms. "If we can't find and protect her, then we've utterly failed Primo." Deep, golden irises stared at Qrow. "What have you been doing out there?" She questioned. "Getting drunk and laid?"

"Hey, hey! Lay off the jabs at me, Notte!" The drunk man took offense to that statement. "I don't see you guys trying to find her. So quit trying to pin the blame on me. I'm doing the best I can. I haven't heard your contribution on the matter."

"That isn't a 'no' on the accusation, Qrow." The lazy, masked man said. "Though I do agree with your point that we aren't exactly helping." He groaned. The man chose to change the topic. The longer they stayed there, the worse the conversation would end up. There were two drunks, a blunt and serious one, an indifferent one, and the lazy one. Three of them would create their own brand of chaos. "How's the heir?"

"I haven't met him, but from what Lupa says, the heir is fine. He's working at Beacon under Ozpin's watchful eye." Qrow explained. "I'm surprised really. Oz knew Minato was White Fang, yet he didn't know Naruto existed. Well hidden, eh?" The man opened his flask for a quick sip, then said, "Which leads me to my next question…how was he so far under the radar of the White Fang? Of anybody really? How does he even exist?"

The blonde woman chose to answer. "Well for one, he's protected under Lupa's watchful eye, and was given Kushina's maiden name. No one in the criminal underground wants a taste of their wrath. As the years went on, the idea of an heir became a distant idea." Everyone nodded at the simple answer. Names held power in the underground. Lupa and Kushina were infamous. Time also played a factor. No one would look for an heir that had little to no chance of existing when Minato never fell in love with a woman. Tsunade then chose to smirk before answering Qrow's second question. "About the second question…"

Qrow winced. He worded that question wrong. He knew it. "Tsunade I-" He couldn't stop the woman.

"When a man and woman love each other _very_ much…"

"Dammit woman, I'm not a child!" Qrow whined. "How did any of you even know he existed?!"

"They know it from me." Tsunade answered.

"How did you get a hold of that kind of information when Minato hid him from us?" Qrow asked the woman. "Apparently, only he and Lupa knew about it."

"It's quite an easy explanation." Tsunade said. She pointed a thumb at herself. "I'm the one who safely brought him out into the world." Qrow sputtered. It easily made him look like a fish out of water. Tsunade relished the frenzied eye movements, the deep and erratic breathing, and befuddled appearance. The others held their best poker faces. "What? You can't believe it?" The woman questioned with a smirk.

Qrow took a few breaths of air. He pinched the bridge of his nose, then said a mental mantra to himself. When done, he narrowed his eyes at the woman. "You're joking. I can tell. That amused tone… the smirk… I will not be played like a damn fiddle!" He declared. "No way was Minato into-" He cut himself off. Damn his blabbering mouth. He was already on thin ice the moment he said it.

"Into what, _Qrow_?" Tsunade asked 'nicely'.

The masked man yawned. Typical Cloud and Sun dynamics. Prone to conflict if one badgers the other. No one usually won because everyone got dragged into it, and settled due to the Fiamma's order. If only to maintain that order, Kakashi acted responsible for once. "You might as well say it." He suggested. "Either way, you're not going to be in tip-top shape any time soon, brother. Righteous female wrath is unbeatable."

"Only when you or Jiraiya are the ones that incite their wrath." Qrow said. "I for one am sly enough to survive." He crossed his arms, and focused on Tsunade again. "Like I said, you're joking. Either that, or you're playing with words again, Doc." Qrow said with his mind recollecting the woman's present occupation aside from being a guardian to a 'terrorist' organization. "You were the one who got him out of the mother's womb. That's what you're saying right?"

The woman sucked her teeth. Her fun was ruined. "You're no fun when 'sober'."

"You're no fun when you flick a finger a me." Qrow fired back.

"Enough." Notte ordered. "Qrow…Tsunade is not the mother." The woman's furry ears on top of her head perked at the slightest squeak of the chair. "Think about it for a second. Who were the only women Minato fancied?"

Qrow pondered about it for a few minutes. His mind sorted itself through the names. Like a bowl full of folded papers, Qrow's mind fished for name after name. With each name, he judged whether or not if that woman was the mother, then moved on. Problem was. The number of women Minato fell in love with could be counted in one hand. His expression drastically changed when he realized the shocking possibility. "Are you serious?" He asked no one in particular. "Her?" He rubbed his temples. "I expected Kushina since they had a thing going on, but she's married to someone else now. The others aren't viable." He palmed his face. "Her? Really?"

"Is it that so surprising?"

"You should see how crabby she gets when someone says she needs to get laid." Qrow grumbled.

"I'm guessing _you_ said that." The other Guardians said in sync.

Qrow made no effort to respond verbally at that instance. Few moments, he scratched his head. "Well…I can see why Lupa says the boy is studious." The man admitted.

* * *

The next day, the first years were in combat class. Several matches underwent, and now it was time for another match. All were eager to watch the next fight. Each and every single student looked at their instructor down at the arena.

The teacher herself went about going through the process of choosing the next student to fight. "Miss Nikos? Choose your sparring partner." Glynda ordered.

Pyrrha, clouded by thoughts of a certain janitor, was nudged by her partner to garner her attention. She noticed Jaune slyly nod his head towards the teacher. Instantly, she knew she was being called down to fight. While she was eager to prove her mettle time and again, part of her wanted challenge. There were a select few she could count on for an entertaining battle' however, she wanted a person that could corner her. Pyrrha stood up, and started to say something. "Professor…"

"Hm? What is it, young woman?"

"I'd like an… _unconventional_ sparring partner." The Mistralian champion requested. "Is that entreaty permissible?" Murmurs echoed throughout the stands. Few speculated she would fight two full teams instead of just one like a few weeks ago. Even fewer thought that she would have selected the entire first year as her opponents. Sensible ones crossed their arms, and waited for how the next moment would pass.

"And who are you referring to, Miss Nikos?" Glynda had a feeling, but nonetheless she had to ask.

"May I request to have Naruto Uzumaki as my sparring partner?"

The murmurs became louder and louder. Some of the louder voices petitioned against it because they believed it was beneath Pyrrha to fight against a janitor. But that was the minority. The majority wanted to see the capabilities of the janitor that sparked countless rumors from private, social, love, and combat. All in all…there was no denying that sending in the janitor sparked some varied reactions.

Glynda sent a message to Ozpin regarding the request. Not a minute later, the request was given the green light. The woman understood Ozpin's change of mindset. Qrow reported that the White Fang and whoever led them was on the move. That and Lupa called Ozpin to tell that Naruto knew his heritage.

There was no need to hide him anymore.

Glynda readjusted her glasses, and said, "Very well."

In three minutes, a wild Naruto appeared at the eastern entrance of the Professor's arena. He skidded to a stop. Still in his janitorial uniform, he walked down to the arena to ask the woman what was so important that she threatened him with twice the workload if he did not come within the duration of five minutes. Glynda gave the details bluntly.

"…" Naruto cleared his head. He was being asked to fight. Distractions that were currently in his head had to be purged. That letter in his pocket would have to wait. "Okay." Naruto agreed. "Let me get changed. He went to the locker room to change into the extra set of the outfit Weiss bought for him. He made an addition: a chain that held the _Tempesta_ ring hooked at one of the belt loops on the right side. If he was going to fight the famous Mistralian champion, he would have to look the part of a proper challenger. Despite Pyrrha challenging him, her title had more weight. So in his head, he was the challenger. Cielo Fiamma activated in a fiery flash. He cleared his head, then headed out to the arena.

When he came out of the locker room, Naruto noticed his opponent patiently waiting for him with shield and sword in hand. He walked closer until they were within speaking range. Naruto let out a small smile. "I'm surprised, Pyrrha. I never thought _you_ would be the next one to ask me to fight you." He took a stance. "With a bigger crowd too. Not that I mind. I happily accept."

Pyrrha nodded, then raised her shield in front of her for her initial approach. She judged Naruto to be the type to rush first instead of taking things in stride since he was slightly more confident in appearance. If so, countering would be apt. Her mind set up multiple counter maneuvers to allow for perfect positioning on her defenses. She needed every ounce of her Aura if she wants to survive Naruto's blinding blows.

Up in the stands, Team RWBY and JN(P)R sat next to each other as they eagerly awaited for the start of the match. "Well…he looks ready." Ruby said. "Do you think he can land a solid hit, sis?"

"He can and will." Yang said confidently. "I bet that he can make Pyrrha go red."

"You're pretty confident." Weiss huffed. "But I do agree he has a chance of landing a hit. Those snap projectiles are quite unpredictable. She'll have a difficult time prediting when he'll use them, and where they'll explode in her proximity." The half-sisters nodded at the point, and did not question Weiss's change of opinion.

Well...there _was_ a slight bit of suspicion in Yang's mind, but if anything, she was glad both Weiss and Naruto were on normal speaking terms.

"Naruto's more inclined to rush. He shows that as the battle goes on, he loses more and more control. However, there's still a bit of a tactical mind. I do wonder what he'll do against Pyrrha's wait-and-see approach." The rest of team RWBY looked at the final teammate that finally said something. "The first strike will determine the pace of this battle."

"Go Pyrrha!" Nora cheered loudly. "Represent Team JNPR!"

"Nora…" Both Jaune and Ren groaned.

Just above the arena, Pyrrha's and Naruto's portraits came up. Everyone saw both fighters' Aura levels. Those who've seen Naruto and Yang fought thought one thing. ' _When did he become more accepting of his Aura?_ ' Compared to the one third that Naruto held before...the Aura level at the moment was at least double the amount compared to the first time.

Everyone else was at an uproar in either disdain or awe. The former hated the fact that Pyrrha was against a janitor with a handicap. The latter thought better of the underdog, and reasoned that Naruto's incomplete Aura was what might have prevented him from becoming a student of Beacon.

Glynda watched both fighter's hardened expressions. Neither strayed their gaze away to anything else except their opponent. They were completely focused on each other. It reminded her of Naruto and Yang's earlier fight. If it's anything like before, she was ready to stay out of the line of fire. Nothing could prevent this battle now that both submitted themselves to an earnest spar. Since there was no further banter, she said, "Begin!"

Neither fighter budged. The only sign that told everyone they were alive was the fact their bodies rose and fell with each breath and exhale they took. Everyone could see there was no tension between either fighter, yet their presence deterred the other from taking action.

Just then, Naruto's body stiffened. Naruto's body blurred as he dashed towards Pyrrha with a surprising display of speed. What was a gap of three meters was gone within a second. His right fist cocked back, the right elbow thruster propelled him towards his enemy. Naruto's fist looked like a shooting star that darted at Pyrrha, who could not react fast enough to either redirect or parry Naruto's attack. Fist met shield in a resounding bang. The force of such a blow pushed Pyrrha back twice the distance of the original gap. She would have gone farther if not for her surprisingly durable heels that dug into the floor.

"I thought that shield would dent." Naruto commented as he cradled his right wrist with his left hand. "I thought the same of Jaune's as well, but his and yours seem to be made of special materials that I can't break." He returned to a fighting stance. "Not yet anyways..." He muttered. He went and repeated the same approach.

Pyrrha was ready for it, and reacted by changing her sword into its spear form. Pyrrha swung the spear at Naruto, who ducked as low as possible without falling on his face. When that first strike missed, she looped the rest of her spear shaft around her neck, and shortened the distance to make the sharp edge land. Each revolution missed, and each revolution, the blade became closer and closer to Pyrrha's neck. She grabbed the spear, and reverted it into its Xiphos form. Her sword arm drawn, she swung overhead to meet her opponent.

Naruto skidded towards Pyrrha with his right fist cocked. With an upward arc, he swung full force with the aid of his thrusters. He made it look like he aimed for the shield, but in reality, he targeted something else. "Let's see you fight with only a shield!" He roared. Spear met gauntlet. The latter won easily. Pyrrha's firm grip lost to the sheer power behind the fist. Her weapon flew high into the sky, and lodged itself onto the ceiling. The young man wasn't done. The right fist came down like a hammer. With the intent of hitting Pyrrha's right collarbone, Naruto swung down with ground-shattering force that was blocked by Pyrrha's shield. Naruto swung his left fist as a backhanded strike. The gauntlet redirected Pyrrha's defense off to the side, and exposed her back to Naruto. The blond gathered proper footing, then wrapped his arms around Pyrrha's waist. Naruto arched his back while he pulled Pyrrha with him. The young woman hefted her shield above her head, and braced for impact. The janitor's suplex cracked the ground even further, and caused a small tremor that reached the ceiling. Naruto rotated himself, then let go of his opponent's waist to grab onto her ankles. Moving back, he pulled up as if Pyrrha was a blanket. The Champion could not do anything but to take the full force of the next blow.

"Pyrrha!" Jaune shouted from the stands. "There's an opening!"

The Mistralian young woman looked down to see Naruto's exposed abdomen. She chucked her shield onto the floor, and made it bounce right at Naruto's chest. The blow knocked Naruto back, but it wasn't enough to force him to let go. Thankfully, Pyrrha's attempt made Naruto bend his arms. With the aid of gravity, Pyrrha's weight allowed her to achieve some range to strike. She stomped her foot down on Naruto's head. The impact caused Naruto to buckle his knees slightly. Ultimately, he released his hold on Pyrrha. The young woman twirled, then chucked her shield again; this time striking the chest laterally.

Naruto tumbled backwards into a roll. At the end of his roll, he saw Pyrrha bash her shield overhead. He blocked it with one arm, then realized his mistake. The weight on the shield became lighter. His opponent planned to vault over, and hit from his exposed back. His free hand spun around to backhand the young woman, but she wasn't there. He found out where she was when he felt a kick land on the back of his head that sent his face to the ground.

Everyone cheered. The janitor, while obviously skilled, could not hold a candle to Pyrrha's graceful attacks.

Team RWBY and JN(P)R watched the Aura levels. Pyrrha still lost in the amount of Aura lost. Ren pointed out that Naruto's Aura had yet to budge from Pyrrha's hits.

Naruto still refused to use his Aura for defense.

"Your evaluation, Naruto?" Pyrrha requested. "How am I at fighting with only a shield?" Everyone could hear the slight amusement in the young woman's voice.

"You're a female Captain Atlas if that's what you're asking." Naruto mumbled out as he removed his face from the floor. "Though I like you more as Pyrrha Nikos, whose blade and shield are capable of protecting the Invincible Girl." He snapped his fingers, and the ceiling exploded. Seconds later, Miló, Pyrrha's offensive weapon, landed on the ground. "I want you at your best." Naruto explained. "However, _I_ cannot fight you at your best." The statement confused Pyrrha and everyone else. "Don't expect me to be fair." He popped his knuckles as he said, " _I'll_ be at my _worst._ " He reached into his back pouches, and took out a pair of butterfly knives that he held in reverse grip.

' _Butterfly knives. Lupa taught him that in-depth into her own style?_ ' Blake was genuinely surprised.

Pyrrha retrieved her sword. She turned around, and said to Naruto, "As long as you fight with your all, I will take everything you have to unleash. Fair or not." Shield in front of her, Pyrrha beckoned her opponent.

"I'm glad you're taking this seriously then." Naruto said. He played with his knives. "I guess this means we return to our scheduled fight?"

Without warning. That was the description of Naruto's charge. A flurry of fists struck with no rhyme or reason. Metal clang several times like a drummer in a solo. Naruto swung with a left hook. Pyrrha stepped back to make it miss. However, Naruto came with a return swing with knifepoint leading the charge. The blade hooked Pyrrha's shield, and with it, Pyrrha's left arm. He pulled back to expose Pyrrha's guard. The left elbow thruster ignited. A left straight headed for Pyrrha's face.

A sensation tingled around Naruto's left arm. His eyes widened as his muscles were involuntarily turned. His left arm twisted to make the blade point straight to the ceiling. Away from Pyrrha's cheek. The slight change threw off the angle of the punch. Instead of a face, he punched the floor into an explosive display of raw power. There was no pause. Naruto's right arm arced behind him. The knife made a glancing cut with Pyrrha's shield. Another took its place. And the other, then the other, and so on. He became a spinning top that pressured Pyrrha into a persistent guard. Naruto fell on all fours, then slashed at the exposed legs of his opponent.

Pyrrha slammed the point of her sword down onto the floor to block the surprise attack from below. The sharp edges of the knives faced upwards, and scratched the surface of the weapon as it ascended towards Pyrrha. The young woman flipped back. She almost completed the maneuver when she saw a right uppercut drive up to her stomach with a satisfactory and sickening sound. The impact prevented her from concentrating on the next fist, which headed for her chin. The young woman spun backwards in the air. Her flips stopped when Naruto grabbed her head, and slammed her face down onto the ground.

Everyone winced at the sight. Violent and pure offense like that was rare to see. Even with Aura, no one could help but shiver at the brutal impacts cause by the janitor.

"He's not himself." Ren said out loud.

Jaune had to ask, "What do you mean by that?"

"He's more feral than before." Ren explained. "I understand he's doing his best to stand his ground against Pyrrha, but does he need to treat this spar as a life or death situation? Is it necessary to use potential killing blows against his opponent?" He couldn't fathom the idea why Naruto would do such a thing.

' _That is the signature of a Fiamma's fighting style or at least one aspect of it. Kill or be killed mentality._ ' Blake thought. She watched the hologram board above. Pyrrha lost half of her Aura from the attacks Naruto inflicted. Naruto himself exhausted a tenth of his Aura from enhancing his strikes and using those thrusters as mobility. In summary, both were equal in Aura level.

Pyrrha managed to escape Naruto's assault. A series of clashes broke out between them. Pyrrha's shield and sword met Naruto's knives countless times without fail. The young woman's sheer skill allowed her to react quickly to Naruto's hasty and haphazard attacks. Yet even with the occasional openings that Naruto gave...Pyrrha could not exploit it because the next blow came immediately after. She understood that Naruto's offense was his defense at this point. She took a few glances at her opponent.

His clothing made him look like a combat-ready Huntsman. She had to thank Weiss for updating the young man's wardrobe even if it was one set. She could appreciate the movements he made. Never in her life did she think someone could match her blow for blow using only trickery alongside raw power. Even with the clothes, she could see the trained muscles contract and relax with every move he made. But the main thing that drew her to Naruto was his eyes.

Burning orange like the sky at sunset. They faintly glowed. She zoomed out to see his expression. He was serious. No smile graced his face. No sense of amusement either. Previously when he fought Yang, Pyrrha could tell Naruto enjoyed the fight despite the injuries. Here, his eyes told her that he wouldn't give up. He fought as if it was his last breath.

Naruto chucked one of his knives past Pyrrha's left cheek. She wondered why he missed. Adrenaline blinded him of his situational awareness? She didn't know. The moment her eyes returned to him, she heard a snap of his fingers, and a bright flash of orange.

Everyone went wide-eyed. One person was far more shocked than the rest of the spectators in the arena. Glynda Goodwitch recognized that maneuver and its flashy aftereffect. Her voice wavered, yet she still managed to utter something. "H-Hotaru?" She asked lowly. ' _H-How does he-? Why does he know...?_ ' Questions filled her head. First, Naruto copied Mustang, now he copied Hotaru's signature move. ' _Why is he evolving so much in such short notice?_ '

"This is flashy and insane!" Yang exclaimed. "Why didn't he do that in our fight?" She demanded to know as she ended her question in a pout.

"Probably because he didn't know how to?" Jaune replied with his unsure answer. Multiple pairs of eyes locked onto him. They wanted him to say more about what he meant by that. He sighed. "Last night, when he was training me, I sent him flying-"

Yang and Weiss didn't believe him. The former failed to hold her laughter, whereas the latter scoffed.

"Hey! I'm being serious!" Jaune said.

"For the sake of an explanation, I believe you." Ruby said. "Go on."

Jaune cleared his throat. "So I sent him flying, and he came back with a less than stellar landing. I criticized it, and he didn't like it. He said something about how 'In a fight, I'm fine because it felt like I was being guided by someone; my body is on autopilot.'" He paused. "Specifically, I think he's getting better because of this mysterious entity that sends him information on the fly."

"..."

"Oh come on!" Jaune whined. "That's the best answer i can come up with!"

"Look!" Nora shouted. Everyone watched the fight boiled down into a frenzy of flashing, orange lights that surrounded Pyrrha's stellar defense.

Up above, Naruto's Aura level decreased with each flash he performed. The gap he made earlier steadily decreased as he fought haphazardly with a flashy move he had yet to master to its proper potential. At this point, it was anyone's guess who would win.

"This is why she's the Invincible Girl, Mistral's champion." Weiss muttered in awe. She couldn't fathom this level of skill from just watching it from a screen. Here, in this arena, Weiss used her senses to enhance the experience. The reverberating clashes were the chorus of an orchestra; the seamless combat was a dance with visible steps; her skin tingled at the heat that somehow reached the audience. If Weiss felt like this just by watching, how did Pyrrha, at the epicenter, felt under Naruto's constant assault.

Pyrrha managed to parry multiple attacks, and bought herself time for the next blitz that careened into her next blind spot. She was only able to hang on because she used her Semblance to sense where the knives would be in order to prepare for the next surprise attack. The young woman knew she couldn't hope to last long on defense alone. The heat Naruto gave off could cause blisters. And with the heavy hits used quite a bit of her Aura. She would lose to chip damage at this rate.

A flash came from above her. Naruto's fist burned with intense flames. He came down like a meteor that descended to smash through Pyrrha's defense. As his fist came closer and closer...

A horn blared all over the arena. The fight was over.

Naruto promptly halted his bombardment against Pyrrha. He reangled his fist to make it miss. A combat roll later, he fully stopped moving to continue fighting. He breathed deeply several times as if he was out of breath. He placed his hands on his knees as support while he leaned over his hunched body. Clearly, he was exhausted. Far more exhausted than Pyrrha. "I guess...even when fighting dirty, I still lost." He chuckled. "Sucks...but I'll live with another loss on my belt." He sprung up with a cheery smile on his face, then turned around to face his opponent. "I'm happy for the fight, Pyrrha. You're a really awesome fighter! You're one of the many beauties of battle that I'm glad to have met!" He gushed happily for Pyrrha, whose cheeks tinged pink at the compliment. "Next time you want a fight, I'll be sure to give my all again." He pounded his left hand to his chest. "Believe it."

Glynda Goodwitch walked in between the two fighters. "Naruto Uzumaki has reached the red zone. Therefore, Pyrrha Nikos is the winner." The woman announced.

Silence filled the room. No one thought it was a victory. No one. Everyone knew that this fight was more than a regulated spar with tournament rules. Naruto, the janitor they dismissed as nothing more than a nuisance, fought on equal ground against Pyrrha Nikos.

Mistralian transfers watched in horror at the champion's Aura level: A few solid hits short of the red zone. All things considering...that meant one, well-placed punch.

Glynda cleared her throat. "Mr. Uzumaki..." Her voice paused for dramatic effect. "You are by far the most reckless I've come across." She said bluntly. Naruto laughed nervously. "Instead of using moves that waste a sufficient amount of Aura, you should have continued on using your relentless assault to wear down Ms. Nikos's defense." The woman lightly thwacked the young man's head. "Absolutely amateurish. This is not a life or death situation, but if it was, you would have died if you continued this reckless and rampant blitz." Her stern tone and glare caused Naruto to stiffen in fright. The woman sighed, then softened her voice. "Honestly, you're literally burning yourself doing such maneuvers."

Naruto took a closer look at himself. Cielo Fiamma burned as it normally did while in combat. His attire however... Yeah... Steel-toes shoes aren't supposed to burn at the sole. His jacket had flames dancing across its surface as well. Thankfully, nothing actually burned. His Aura ignored burning the materials that composed his attire.

"How did you do that?" Pyrrha asked. "That wasn't something I've ever seen before!"

Naruto smiled from ear to ear, then scratched his head. "Um...hehe." He let out a nervous laugh. Naruto felt death stare at him in the face. "Would you guys believe me if I said...I just _winged_ it?"

"Unbelievable!" Glynda said with surprise. "Are you suicidal?!"

"Nope."

"Then manage your Aura consumption, Mr. Uzumaki." Glynda ordered without hesitation. Naruto was about to protest when Glynda aimed a threatening glared at the young man who chose to disobey her. "Your flashy move is more trouble than it's worth if your Aura levels steadily decrease with every performance you did. Pay attention to it, and in real life, you'll survive far better than what you've done today. You may not be a student, but I am still a teacher. Should there be a fight of catastrophic proportions, it is within your best interest to end the fight quickly with the least amount of consumption of your Aura. Your position as an Aura fighter sets you up at a disadvantage compared to the rest of us. Once you've run out, all you have is your physical attributes to help you. And I know even you can't survive a bullet to the head." She thwacked her riding crop on Naruto's head. "Fighting as if it cost you your life is not okay at situations like these. If you continue on this path, you'll be nothing more than a waste of potential that will be gobbled up by a Grimm."

Yang whistled. "Ms. Goodwitch, isn't pulling any punches today."

"But it does make sense." Weiss said. "Naruto wasted his Aura trying to bust through Pyrrha's defense. If he had trouble doing that to her, who's to say if there are those with equal ability and he had to fight them as a group?"

"He should have used his grapples to break through." Ren commented. "It would be far more effective."

"Let's just agree that Naruto had a chance of winning, and leave it at that." Ruby said. "Okay?" Everyone nodded.

The professor continued to berate Naruto and his performance until the bell rang to end class.

* * *

The end of the day came. Glynda entered her room somberly. That fighting style and tendency reminded her of...someone from her past. Uneasily, she set herself on her bed. Her mind wandered to the past while her eyes set themselves straight up at the ceiling. "Why was I forced to remember you, Hotaru?" She questioned lowly. ' _Seventeen years... I haven't seen you in seventeen years._ ' She thought with welled-up tears. "I want to see you." She said. "But I can't remember your face anymore. My pictures of us are gone. I can only remember your hair and those eyes of blue..." She laid on her left side. "I want to see our child as well, but I don't know if he's even alive. I don't even know if you're alive" Frustration boiled inside the woman's heart.

 _"I don't understand you and your persistence!" Glynda shrieked. "If you don't want to finish this mission, then leave me. I can handle this on my own!"_

 _He grabbed her shoulders to keep her in place. "No you can't. You're barely standing as it is. Your Aura is almost low as well. We need to rest up."_

 _"No! We have to finish this as soon as possible!"_

 _"Don't you understand?!" He shouted. "You're going to waste your life on some stupid bravado? I'm not about to let you do that, Glynda." He said with finality in his voice. "What you're asking for is a quick death!"_

 _"Why are you so pushy?" She demanded. "The quicker we finish this mission, the better!"_

 _"No it isn't!"_

 _"Yes it is!" Glynda insisted. "Why can't you see the benefits of my idea?" She demanded as she grabbed his collar with her hands. "The sooner we deal with this, the faster the villagers can return to their homes!"_

 _"Because I'm afraid I'll lose you, Glynda!" He shouted at her while he embraced her tightly. "Don't waste your life when there's so much time in the world to accomplish this mission._ _Fighting as if it cost you your life is not okay at situations like these. If you continue on this path..." He choked on his words slightly. "You'll be nothing more than a waste of potential that will be gobbled up by a Grimm!_ _"_

Glynda sat up from her bed. The memory of Hotaru's confession lingered quite vividly, yet she still couldn't remember his face. She was ashamed. Very much so. Her hands crumpled the blanket as her fists tightened to the point she appeared to rip the fabric. She looked to her cabinet, and stared at it for a good while. Was she ready to read those letters she held onto for so long? She was hesitant and reluctant to unearth those letters and its contents.

She refused her lover and her son; she abandoned them both. The least she could do was reply. She didn't even make the effort to do it. How could she be worthy of knowing the condition of either of them?

She brushed those negative thoughts aside. She already tortured herself by not acknowledging the letters. It was time that she did, and discovered what happened to either Hotaru or their son.

She got out of her bed, and opened the closet. Out in the rightmost, darkest corner of her cabinet was a small box covered in dust. Glynda carefully extracted the worn box from the corner, then plopped on the floor in front of her bed's side. She went to her knees, and grabbed the topmost envelope in the pile. She examined its worn appearance. The white envelop turned into beige because of age. The seal frayed from age as well. It took little to no effort to open it. She removed the paper from the envelope, unfolded it, then read what it said to herself.

 _Glynda..._

 _How are you? It's been twelve years. This...this is the 126th letter I've sent to you._ _I doubt you're even reading this. Honestly, I don't know where to send them anymore._ _You're obviously no longer in Mistral. Your father...I've only managed to send these off because he knew where you were. I hope that he can give you this final letter that I'm writing as well._

 _I...I'm dying as I write this. My family has succeeded in fatally wounding me for my deception. I'll be bleeding out soon. Before I lose consciousness or leave the mortal plane...I have to say something about o_ _ur son... Our son is safe. He's growing up as a fine, young man._ _Hardworking,_ _selfless, admittedly reckless... He has your tender smile._ _He's also quite understanding. Though that's a given since it's hereditary from my side. Perceptive. Would you be happy to hear that he doesn't hate us? He said that even though he couldn't meet us, he was happy being born. Our son is happy._

 _Glynda...I'm sorry. Forgive me, Hotaru- no...Minato Fiamma, for lying about my identity. Forgive me for my transgressions against you. Forgive me for making you suffer. Forgive me for what's about to come...I've been effectively removed from my position as leader of the White Fang. A violent form of the White Fang will take over. Peace on Remnant will die soon. When that happens...find our son. Find Naruto!_

 _Give him a mother. I know you well enough that you can provide a mother's love. Your voice held regret the day I took Naruto away. You wanted to keep him, or a least a part of you did. You loved our child the moment he came into this world._ _When you find him, tell Naruto I said 'Goodbye, I love you, and I'm sorry.'_

 _And from me to you, I say, "I love you."_

 _-Minato "Firefly" Fiamma_

Droplets of tears made contact with the piece of paper stained in blood.

 ** _And...yeah. That's it. Yes. That's it. Glynda is the mom. No surprise. I haven't fooled a single one of you. It honestly felt like Tobi's reveal as Obito: called it. I_ told _you I'm not subtle. My foreshadowing is like a whale beached at Times Square in New York: You can't miss it because it's so obvious. Now that I've said that, go find more obvious things to look at in this story because they are just there if you look closely._**

 ** _Jaune's arc is shortened to the opening part of this chapter. Naruto is his motivation to get better alongside his wish to not get pushed around anymore. I chose not to let his pride prevent him from cause unnecessary drama. And because of it, we got to see his Semblance. For more information, look up Accelerator from To Aru Majutsu No Index/ To Aru Kagaku No Railgun._**

 ** _The rest of the Guardians are there...so yeah. Take that scene, and analyze it however you want. Implement Occam's Razor while you're at it. That means, when analyzing the 'plot' of this chapter, the simplest explanation is likely to be the right one._**

 ** _How was that Naruto vs Pyrrha fight? Honestly, it was there because it gave Naruto and Pyrrha interaction time as well as lead into the final scene with Glynda. Please criticize the way I handled Glynda and the final scene. I feel like I've made a lackluster ending to the chapter. The only good reasoning I can come up with for Glynda acting like this is because of emotional pain that she's bottled up for seventeen years. Other than that, I've exhausted my brain; it's why the chapter is ending like this._**

 ** _So review, follow, favorite, I don't care._**

 ** _This is Azure signing off._**


	21. A Simple Mystery

_**And here**_ _ **'**_ _ **s another chapter to enjoy. To recap: To the surprise of no one, Glynda is Naruto**_ _ **'**_ _ **s mom. That**_ _ **'**_ _ **s the most important thing that happened in the last chapter.**_

 _ **And seeing the finale**_ _ **…**_ _ **I guess I made a ample comparison between Naruto and Cinder**_ _ **'**_ _ **s style of fighting. I guess you could say Cinder**_ _ **'**_ _ **s mobility options and pyrokinetic proficiency mirror or look familiar to Naruto**_ _ **'**_ _ **s own. Though I have to say with bias and knowledge of Naruto**_ _ **'**_ _ **s weapon that the latter has more raw power compared to Cinder**_ _ **'**_ _ **s little flamethrower.**_

 _ **Pyrrha**_ _ **'**_ _ **s fate will be unknown. That much is all I can say in the matter.**_

 _ **Warning: some angst is obviously seen in this chapter.**_

 _ **I hope you enjoy this chapter in light of what has happened in the finale of volume three.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 19: A Simple Mystery

"It's strange for Ms. Goodwitch to have a fever all of a sudden." Ruby said aloud.

"It's probably a summer cold. She'll be fine soon." Weiss dismissed the idea. Though in the back of her mind, she saw how shocked the instructor was when Naruto used that flashy move to constantly attack Pyrrha. It shocked the woman as if she saw a ghost. "That woman is tough. A simple cold won't put her in bed for too long."

"I guess you're right." Ruby agreed. "Hey Weiss? Do you think Crescent Rose needs an upgrade?"

Weiss scoffed. "Hardly. You've done all you can with that weapon." She said. "Your proficiency with it is astounding, but your leadership skills? Yeah, they need work."

"Leadership workshop gets boring after a while though…" Ruby complained.

"At least you're learning something from them." Blake said as she sat down next to Weiss. "You'll get better with time, Ruby. I'm sure of it." The young team leader smiled from ear to ear at the vote of confidence.

"Same here." Jaune agreed as he set his tray down on the table. Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren followed within seconds. "Ruby, you're exceptional. Understand?"

"Okay, okay." Ruby surrendered to the praise. "But seriously, do I need upgrades for my weapon?"

"Unnecessary." Everyone said.

Nora, the voice of rebellion, said "Yes!"

Sadly, Ruby did not hear Nora's support. "Aww…" But she quickly perked up. "Anyone else want a free upgrade?!"

"Unnecessary." They synced together.

"Aww…"

"You people have no imagination!" Nora said as she Showed her support for Ruby. "Ruby! Make Magnhild have a setting for boosting!"

"Boosting?" Ruby repeated. "Oh! Like a constant stream made by a propellant? I think I can manage that. I'll need the specs for Magnhild though as well as reverse engineer it to add that new system and-"

"Ruby. Please don't make Magnhild stronger." Ren pleaded. "If you do…I fear her power will be too much!"

The young, silver-eyed woman scoffed. "Please. What's the worst that could happen?"

Ren offered his Scroll. It was a video clip.

" _Put that hammer down, young lady!_ _"_ _A police officer ordered._

" _Uh_ _…_ _bad call, sir._ _"_ _Ren said immediately._ _"_ _She very much loves her hamm-_ _"_ _Ren was knocked off to the side._

" _You want me to put the hammer down?!_ _"_

The video cut off immediately. The silence from the table was Ren's explanation.

"I rest my case." He said before Nora booped his nose.

"Um…" Ruby was speechless. "I'll look into it at a later time, Nora."

"Aww…" Nora visibly deflated, and Jaune was there to comfort the pancake-loving teammate.

"But still! Does _anyone_ want an upgrade?"

Weiss sighed at the young, weapon-obsessed leader. "If you're so adamant about an upgrade, why not make a secondary weapon for yourself? Your style emphasizes spatial awareness with your scythe and sniper rifle. Why not have one specified for close combat?" She suggested.

The young leader's silver eyes gleamed with wonder. "You're absolutely right! There is a flaw, and that's if people get past my effective range! Oh man, I'm getting ideas from this! What should I do? An axe cannon? Hidden blade, laser rifle? Bladed brass knuckles? Lighter sword? Oh! Maybe the swords like Naruto's boss uses! Oh~ maybe something like Uncle Qrow's!"

Everyone felt fear at Ruby's enthusiasm.

Yang came up to the table. "Have you guys seen Naruto around?" Yang asked her team and JNPR. No one said yes. Her face formed a frown. She sat down next to Blake. "He's been quite shadowy these past few days. I wonder what's going on in his head right now… All the times I've seen him is when he's so distracted by a letter." She said while thinking deeply on the matter. Her head tilted to the side as she leaned back and crossed her arms.

"If it's anything like a few days ago, then Naruto is most likely running away from the people who want answers he doesn't have." Blake said as she read a fiction novel of a soldier who wanted to be a hero, whose dreams and honor dictated his code of conduct. "A janitor wasn't meant to be in the spotlight as much as he did." The golden irises of Blake's took a gander at Pyrrha. "How is your mother handling the situation, Pyrrha? No doubt that the media is hounding her because they can't get to you."

Pyrrha wasn't worried. "They have tried." She said. "However, my mother isn't a pushover. So when they tried to be like the sharks of gossip that they pretended to be, my mother easily threatened them with her weapons." Her arms crossed. "Honestly, I have no problem dealing with them, but continued pestering grates on my nerves."

"Even you too, Pyrrha?" Weiss asked. She sighed. "I guess we're alike in that regard. And our latest problems stem from Naruto himself."

"Weiss, Pyrrha, both of you are to blame for your own problems." Blake said bluntly.

Ruby perked up. "Blake! That's not nice."

"They interacted with Naruto. In Weiss's case, she dragged Naruto out in public. In Pyrrha's case, she publicly challenged Naruto. In both situations, the media caught wind of them." Blake argued without missing a beat. Both young women in question lowered their heads at the truth. "You have nothing to blame but yourselves. You two, of high social standings, interacted with what many would consider someone at the bottom. It's only natural people find it odd. Even more-"

Yang placed a hand over Blake's mouth. "All right, Blake. That's enough ranting for today's breakfast. I don't want to fall asleep while eating my bacon and eggs when I have Oobleck to worry about later in the day."

"Yeah! Let me enjoy my pancakes in peace!" Nora said with her fists simultaneously slamming the table.

"Nora…you're never at peace." Jaune remarked.

"Nora enjoying her pancakes is the most peaceful you can get, Jaune. Enjoy it while it lasts." Ren muttered beside Jaune.

And so, the two teams enjoyed their breakfast once more in _relative_ peace.

* * *

"That's quite a predicament, Glynda." The portly Professor Port said as calmly as possible. It was quite alarming for the strict woman looking vulnerable in front of him.

Her head was low in shame. Shoulders scrunched as if she wanted to fold into herself. Knuckles were white with self-aimed frustration. Clothing wrinkled and wet from tears that were most likely shed. Her hair was down, and her eyes red from crying. "What do I do, Peter, Bartholomew? I've already met my son. I'm already a teacher in his eyes… If I reveal this to him-"

Oobleck cleared his throat. "If you reveal this to him, there are multiple possibilities." The green-haired prof- _doctor_ started off. "First is the most obvious: he will gladly accept you since you informed us that he doesn't hate you." The man took a sip of his coffee. "Another: he will slap you or even do some form of bodily harm, and absolutely hate you. Another form of possibility is that he'll accept whatever reasons you will say right to his face; however, your relationship will _not_ be one of mother and son." He paused. "Actually, I'm sure of it that all possibilities lead to one result: you will never be truly mother and son."

Port took his turn saying the other possibilities. "The less obvious ones are isolation from you, indifference, and…so on." He couldn't say anymore because he did not want to break the woman further.

Glynda's bloodshot eyes welled up with tears. "I…I feared that possibility, but it seems it's inevitable. He's seventeen. He was _devoid_ of a parent. I'm not his mother. By blood, sure, but not _once_ did I do a…motherly deed. At this age, he has no need of me. He's survived this long by his wits and support of Lupa and Minato, whereas I…I was nowhere in his life." She held back a sob. "He…will _never_ see me as his mother."

"Dry your tears, Glynda." The green-haired man requested. "You will need to be strong. Face him. Face him, and let your feelings say what needs to be said."

"The truth will set you free of this misery, Glynda." The portly man explained. "If there are emotional wounds that are inflicted in your upcoming encounter, let time heal them." He stood up, and went next to Oobleck's side by the door. "We shall leave you alone to let you meditate upon you next actions."

"But we implore you to choose the option that will not lead to regret." Oobleck added as a final nail to the conversation. "Good luck on this matter, Glynda. This encounter may either make your current condition better, or make it unfathomably worse." The two men swiftly and firmly shut the door, and left the woman to collect her thoughts.

* * *

Blank. Stiff. He was emotionless. Motionless. Near breathless. He had no outward reaction. He read it. Several times. He couldn't think. He couldn't process the information. He took a deep breath to attempt to calm rising nerves. His right hand clutched his temples. His blue eyes reread it one more time just to make sure he understood.

 _Arms wide open, I stand alone._

 _I_ _'_ _m no hero, but here I am at war._

 _In this bladed field, I stare at my enemy,_

 _An army of treasured weapons ready to make me bleed._

 _A defiant glare in my eyes as I faced a hero_

 _Blackened, twisted, corrupted into a monster._

 _And I, the wannabe that fights to end him,_

 _Ready my steel body_

 _For this fight_

" _Body of swords_ …Act five prelude." A voice said from behind. Naruto promptly shut his book. The voice walked around the table, and took the empty seat in front of him. "Are you trying to predict what will happen next, Naruto?" The blond nodded wordlessly. "It's not trying to lie to you. That much I can say." Naruto looked glad that it wasn't as complex as he initially thought. Blake moved on to her next topic. "I didn't think you would be an avid reader of novels regarding fantasy and complex thematics."

Naruto looked puzzled."…Um."

Blake simplified her words. "I didn't think you were a fan of fantasy novels with big themes."

"Oh…" Naruto said. "It just looked cool so I chose to read it."

"How long have you been at it?" Blake asked.

Naruto closed his eyes. "Hm…two hours or three? Give or take?"

Blake was impressed. She didn't think he was a fast reader. The work Naruto held in his hands was quite interesting with its themes. Ideals versus truth. Self-sacrifice as an act of heroism or stupidity. The deconstruction of the naive representation of 'Heroes' in the main character. "Do you understand what the main character is like?"

"He thinks his life isn't worth the cost of the lives lost in a tragedy. So he chose to have everyone use him as…atonement, and for the childish wish that he "wanted everyone to live happily." But when the man who wanted to kill him told him all the wrongs of that idea, it showed that if he continued without seeing to the consequences, and rushed in without a second thought, he would have been a machine. But still he fights for it because he understood that's what it was: a dream. Un…unattainable, but reachable with effort." Naruto answered. "Did I get it right?" Blake gave him a so-so. The young man smiled. "I see. Close enough." He closed the book. "How are you, Belladonna?"

"I'm quite fine." The Cat Faunus answered. "Although Yang is an entirely different case. She's worried about you. You need to see her."

Naruto's eyes fell to the book on the desk. "It's nothing serious. Really."

"She told me you were quite…enthralled by a letter." Blake said, idly remembering what Yang observed and reported to her this morning. "So invested in it that you yourself shook in what she considered fear, uncertainty, and…-oddly enough- acceptance. What is it about?"

Naruto's expression darkened. The young man pondered on what to do next. To Blake, he looked distracted by something. Which was true.

Considering what Adam said about his past and about a certain Cat Faunus, there was plenty to be distracted about.

It was when his left hand shuffled into his jacket's left pocket that he made the decision. He placed the envelope on top of the novel he read. Its seal, frayed and worn by age was the crest of the Fiamma, a lion with its mane on fire. "It's a letter from my dead dad." Naruto said. "The one who put me in the orphanage." He paused. "I haven't read it yet, but its existence distracts me sometimes." He confessed. "His origins are shocking, but I'm more uncomfortable knowing what surprise is hiding inside it."

Blake held her best poker face. If she didn't ask, she could feign consideration for his privacy. If she did, then…she felt that she would be caught under the Hyper-intuition inside the blood of every Fiamma. She chose to say something. "Do you know who he was by name?"

"I know." Naruto answered. "You know him too, don't you?" Naruto asked simply. Shivers went down Blake's spine. As if daggers of ice impaled her back, she could not move. The way he said it made her afraid of what's to come next. He was calm, normal, and fully knowledgeable on the subject when he asked that question. Blake knew she was caught. "I'm sure you know this, Belladonna. Minato Fiamma, my father. The Belladonna family swore to serve and protect the Fiamma family, right? Tell me. What happened?"

Golden orbs dilated.

Sky blue eyes narrowed.

Her hitched breath was released. "I-I can explain, Naruto." Blake stuttered out. "Don't make any rash assumptions!"

"I won't." Naruto said. "You ran away from the White Fang. And now your past haunts you while my blood's 'destiny' found me." He looked down on the letter. "I'm conflicted. I want to know more about my parents, but I feel like if I know it, I…" He trailed off, and took a deep breath. Without warning, he stood up. "We'll talk later." He said. "You, on the other hand, need to say the truth about yourself soon, or the trust you've built with your team will break apart quickly. Damn near instantly." He returned the letter to his pocket. He left the table, and exited the library.

Left on her own, Blake felt miserable. "Caught so easily." She was disappointed in herself.

* * *

Punches echoed across the fitness room. Like rapid fire gunshots, the sounds silenced anyone else in that room. Relentless like booming thunder, the frequency of the punches increased, and so did the volume. The footwork associated with those punches became frenzied as well. Sweat bounced off the young man's skin. Steam leaked out as well. With how much fervor those punches contained, many, if not all, spectators wondered what went through the janitor's mind.

' _Mom_ _…_ _who are you? Why did you choose to leave me? Us? I understand dad_ _'_ _s reason, and it came from_ your _decision. But what about you? What made you choose to abandon me and dad?_ ' With each question, his punch became stronger and stronger. The leather of the punching bag could not return to its normal state because another punch took its place. Frustration brewed. ' _I don_ _'_ _t hate you._ ' His right fist uppercutted the bag. ' _I don_ _'_ _t hate you._ ' He repeated the action with his left. The bag went higher. ' _I don_ _'_ _t hate you!_ ' His left leg went forward. His right leg went back. His torso turned to the left. ' _But I need to know_ _…_ why _did you leave?!_ ' The right fist went deep into the punching bag. His right foot stepped forward, and so did his fist. The impact dislodged the punching bag from its hanging point, and sent it to the nearest wall behind it.

The punching bag was embedded into the wall, and Naruto chose to deal the final blow. He readied his fingers to snap. Luckily a hand stopped him in time.

"I think the punching bag doesn't need to be burned, Naruto." A familiar, female voice said beside him.

Naruto lowered his hand. "Right…thanks for that, Pyrrha." He said without looking behind him. He took a few deep breaths. "I'm getting too worked up."

"Indeed you are." Pyrrha said as she released her hold on Naruto's firm, scarred arm. "You're actually burning up." She commented as she compared his body to her own flawless skin. "Calm down and cool off, why don't you?"

"I'll try to do the first, but I can't make promises." Naruto said. "There's…something really deep in my head. Important, personal things." He grabbed his standing, tall bottle of water, right by the embedded punching bag. He opened it, and drenched his head and body with the water. As the water splashed him, more steam emerged. Few, if any, droplets of water reached the floor. It took less than a minute to purge any water from the surface of his skin or hair. He shook his head left and right; his hair followed his movements smoothly.

Pyrrha and a few girls in the fitness room were in awe at the sight of the janitor. The Champion felt her cheeks flushed at the pretty face.

"As for cooling off, you're seeing the results…" Naruto drawled. He slung his towel over his shoulder. "I don't see why I need a towel anymore."

"You're fine…" Pyrrha reassured. "Would you like to talk about it?" She asked. "You're still on edge, and venting it out physically didn't fully finish it off." She was right. His body twitched every so often. His breathing was _slightly_ erratic. His sky blue eyes were burning orange. He was very much on edge. He walked away and out of the room. She followed. She waited for an answer. And waited. And waited. "Naruto…your existence, your conception…I know there's trouble with it. Yang saw you with a letter. I can only guess that it's from your father. I can also guess that it might be even the cause of your stress." Naruto halted as soon as Pyrrha said the last sentence. "You _need_ to talk about this with someone. You-" A hand stopped her from talking.

"I…I appreciate the offer, Pyrrha." Naruto said lowly. "I just…need a moment. It seems that there's some hidden resentment inside my heart for the mom I never knew."

"Re…sentment?" Pyrrha repeated uneasily. "Naruto I understand if you're feeling unconformable of your situation, but-"

"I respect you, Pyrrha." Naruto said. "You gave me the truth I needed to know. Your strength is something I admire. You consoled me the moment my world turned upside down. But I _will not_ trouble you with _mommy_ issues." He said bitterly. His fists tightened. "It's not necessary for you to help. I just need to _calm down_." He walked away. Pyrrha persisted. "I'll be fine, Pyrrha. Trust me. I haven't even had the chance to pay you back. Don't add another deed to that list. It's hard enough to pay back my caretaker with all that she's done for me…"

Pyrrha, absolutely confused by that, was left alone in the hallway as Naruto walked away. "…What do you mean by that?"

* * *

Naruto sat on a bench facing the city scape of Vale. It was the same seat he sat on when Pyrrha told him the truth of his birth and the ring he held onto. He took out the letter while his face held an unreadable expression.

"You know I could be an ass, and yank that letter out of your hands to find out what's bumming you out, but I won't." A voice stated bluntly. The voice, a she, cleared her throat. "So…you gonna spill the beans on what's causing your next bout of emoness?"

Naruto's eyes widened. He knew the voice. "Yang?!" He asked in disbelief. "W-What are you doing here?!" He asked in a fearful stutter. Why fear?

He's the son of the previous White Fang leader. Effectively making him the rightful leader to a terrorist organization. Strike one. Weiss Schnee, a prime target of the White Fang is part of team RWBY, which Yang is a part of. Strike two. He has this bombshell of a background hidden from Yang, the young woman with the most volatile _hair-_ trigger of all time. Strike three.

Oh, but there was much more than that. He didn't want to ruin what he potentially has with Yang if this spilled out.

"I've been looking for you." Yang answered. She walked to the bench, and sat down next to Naruto. "You're being Blake right now, and I don't like it." She bluntly expressed. "What's wrong? What is so important in that letter that you're stressing out over it?"

Naruto guessed he could give Yang half-truths, but part of him wanted to lie all the way through. Then he realized how much of a hypocrite he was. He told Blake to tell the truth, and here he was with the idea of lying stuck in his head. His right hand braced his right kneecap. He handed over the letter to Yang. "It's a letter from my dad."

Yang was surprised. Naruto received something from his dad.

"He's been dead for five years." Naruto explained. "How I know? I've met him many times as a man that would visit the orphanage from time to time. He disappeared five years ago, and I found that letter hidden from me."

Yang looked down to the letter. "And what makes you so afraid?"

"I'm not afraid." Naruto insisted. "It's just…if that letter contains something about anything important, like my birthright, relatives, will, or my mom…" He trailed off.

Yang felt a pang in her heart. They were alike: motherless. "You don't know if you can handle that kind of information shoved down in one go?" Yang guessed. Naruto nodded. "Then I guess you could say the same of me."

"Hm?"

"My mom left me and my dad just after I was born." Yang confessed. Naruto's eyes widened at that. "Ruby and I? Half-sisters. When Ruby's mom never returned from a mission, I found out that dad had a first love, my mom. I made it my mission to find out why, and nearly killed Ruby and myself for answers." The two fell into silence for a few moments to let it sink in.

It finally made sense to Naruto why Yang acted _motherly_ to Ruby. Not that he'd say it aloud.

"Our uncle saved us, and from then on, I learned."

"…What did you learn?" Naruto asked.

"I learned that I need to have a strong heart to find the truth. I learned I need the strength to continue past any obstacle to grab that answer. And I've learned to not let my life be dictated by this." Yang confidently said. Her lilac eyes faced Naruto's own. "I haven't stopped. I'm just not having the time to find those answers. Part of me is afraid as well. Afraid of what she may say about me and dad. You, on the other hand…you're holding onto something very important that reveals an important piece of your life. Take it slow. Whatever happens, accept it."

"Whatever happens?" Naruto repeated in confusion.

"You're seventeen. Do you still need your mom in your life after all this time surviving?"

Naruto faced Vale. "I guess not." He muttered as an answer. "But I still would like to know."

Yang handed the letter back to Naruto. The young man gladly took it. "I'm sure it's personal, so you can handle this yourself. If you need help along the way, I'll be there, okay?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah…"

Yang's lips met Naruto's left cheek. It was a quick peck, but enough to take away Naruto's brooding attitude. The young man's gawked expression was all Yang needed to know she did something right. "You'll be fine." The female blonde reassured. She stood up, and moved in front of the seated Fiamma. Her hands went to his shoulders as her forehead touched his. "Again, take it slow. Understand what you read, and then make your decision." She left a pause in between. "After that, I hope you trust me enough to tell me what the letter says once you've read it. But I won't hold it against you if it's too personal."

"I understand, Yang." Naruto said. ' _I hope you can trust me with my truth in the end_ _…_ ' He thought to himself. ' _Now to pay you back for the help._ ' He gulped and took some deep breaths, then said, "Can I ask you a question?"

Yang hummed, "What is it?"

"Can this Pauper kiss the golden princess before him?"

"Wha?" Naruto's left arm wrapped around her waist while his right cradled Yang's chin. He pulled her in to a lip lock. The two deepened the kiss while the male tightened his hold. Half a minute later, they broke off. "What was that for?" She asked.

"Payment for helping me think through this." Naruto said and finished with a smile.

Yang crossed her arms underneath her bust. "If that's how it is, then I don't mind helping you out all the time, Naruto." She gave a playful smirk after that.

Naruto quickly became bashful. He turned around while hiding the growing blush cause by his mind's imagination. "I-I'll change it up you know! It doesn't have to be the same thing all the time!" His voice squeaked out those last sentences, and it wholly amused Yang.

"Hoh~ Is that so?" She played along. "That sucks. I kind of want that as my gift from now on…" She snickered as she saw Naruto's ears turn red. She leaned forward. "Maybe…I want something _more._ " She whispered into his ear. She felt Naruto freeze in place. The young woman stifled her laugh; Naruto was much too easy to tease.

"D-Don't you have s-somewhere to be right about now?" Naruto stuttered out.

Yang thought about it. "Oh! Right! Thanks for reminding me." She said. "Weiss wanted to spy on the competition today! I'll be in Vale for the rest of the day, so don't worry about me, Firecracker. I kinda want to see what talent comes out of those airships too."

Naruto turned his face back to Yang. "Wouldn't want to be late now. Go on."

"Will you be all right?" Yang questioned one final time.

The young man stood up. "Yeah…" He replied. "I'll be fine." His assurance was believable, and so, Yang left, and headed for the main landing pad to wait for her teammates to catch a ride to Vale.

Naruto's Scroll beeped. He took it out of his pocket, and looked at the message he received. "From Professor Goodwitch?" He asked himself as he read the message.

 _I have something important to talk about. Please come to my arena at nine tonight._

 _ **And bam! Chapter end. Cruel, I know, but look at it this way**_ _ **…**_ _ **Yeah**_ _ **…**_ _ **I-I got nothing. At least it isn**_ _ **'**_ _ **t a character death! Oh**_ _ **…**_ _ **too soon. Yeah. This is more of a setup chapter to the next one. What do you guys think? I know Angsty Naruto is back, but could you honestly say that Naruto should be fully happy about a mom that wasn**_ _ **'**_ _ **t in his life for his childhood?**_

 _ **Review, follow, favorite, I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	22. A Reunion and Division

_**Yeah...I don't have any words to say for what I wrote down in here. I don't know how well I handled it. But let**_ _ **'**_ _ **s not waste any time with this one. Next chapter is a go.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 20: A Reunion and Division

Glynda cleaned up her appearance prior to this planned meeting. Port and Oobleck's words were enough to give the woman the motivation to talk to her son. And so here she was seated on the stands, and waited for her son to arrive at the designated time.

Despite her preparation, she was still visibly in shambles. Her eyes were glassy with welled tears. Her body twitched in both fear an anticipation of the coming dialogue between mother and son. Her throat felt dry like a desert. She constantly drank water to satisfy that thirst. Her shoulders slouched and compressed together. The most feared female instructor on campus looked absolutely frail at that very moment in time.

In this empty arena, capable of fitting three hundred students, the woman waited as her stifled whimpers and sobs bounced off the walls. It was short-lived as she chose to think of something else. She remembered a song sung by Weiss Schnee when she was fourteen. A verse of a song about someone's passing.

 _I never thought_

 _A hero_

 _Would ever come my way_

 _But more than that_

 _I never thought_

 _You'd be taken away_ _…_

 _Now it's cold without you here_

 _It's like winter lasts all year_ _…_

"Professor Goodwitch?" A voice echoed from the nearest door on Glynda's left. Immediately, she stopped her singing. The young man, her son, peeked his head out. "Ah! There you are." He entered the arena as normal as could be. Just the sight of him instantly sparked memories that had gone away through the passage of time. She watched the young man, whose eyes and hair shone in moonlight. The ceiling had skylights. One had to wonder why one would have such a thing for an arena, but Glynda didn't mind it. His face, plastered with small composure, mirrored Minato the day she first met him.

 _"Hi! My name's Hotaru Hanabi. What's yours?" A hand was offered along with the greeting. The young woman brushed off the hand._

 _"Glynda Goodwitch." She answered as she observed the individual who was to be her partner for the rest of her years in Haven. "Personally, I think you're in the wrong school."_

 _The young man winced at the blunt comment. "Wow. Low blow. From Atlas perhaps?" He muttered loud enough for her to hear. He shook those thoughts aside. "Is it because I'm lanky?"_

 _"And unimposing, a pushover, and frankly_ _…_ _you look weak." Each word was like a dagger to the young man's ego as displayed by each imperceptible twitch by his body._

 _His left hand scratched the back of his head. "I forgot first impressions are a thing_ _…_ _" He chuckled lightly. "I'll be sure not to anger you in any sort of way in the future then, Glynda." He offered his right hand again, "Still, it's nice to meet you."_

 _"The feeling isn't mutual." Glynda spoke harshly. "I won't accept you as my partner."_

' _Hotaru' crossed his arms. "Well that_ might _be a challenge."_

 _"And what do you mean by that?" She asked. He simply pointed behind her._

 _"This." Without warning, he chucked a knife past her cheek, and flashed out of existence. She heard flesh part, so she turned around to see one King Taijitu's head decapitated from the rest of its body. He examined his work, and was satisfied by the outcome. But he wasn't finished. This Grimm had two heads. If one was dead, the other_ _…_ _"Pay attention!" He chucked his knife again, and he flashed once more. The last head of the King Taijitu fell to Glynda's left. Her supposed partner landed on it with a small frown. "Like it or not, we're in this together. So it's in your best interest to pay attention to your surroundings so I don't have to bail you out. We're in this school to learn, and I would like it if you learned teamwork from this."_

 _Glynda, infuriated by someone lecturing her, left the area to head for the destination the headmaster ordered them to reach within three days. Her pride was tested. But she had to admit the young man was competent since he displayed his skills. She still didn't want him as a partner though._

 _"Can someone help me?!" A voice yelled from atop the vine-littered treetops. Another aspiring student, a male, was stuck -entangled- in vines. His weapon was stuck on the ground. Glynda thought of him as a lost cause. She promptly looked for Hotaru to accept the partnership that was already established the moment they made eye contact._

" _Oh! You_ _'_ _re back._ _" '_ _Hotaru_ _'_ _said with mild surprise as he jumped down from his perch on a tree branch directly above Glynda._ _"_ _Are we partners now?_ _"_ _He asked the blonde Huntress-in-training._

 _Glynda stared with a frown on her face._ _"_ _As long as you don_ _'_ _t get in my way_ _…_ _yes._ _"_

' _Hotaru' offered his hand again._ _"_ _Then let_ _'_ _s shake on it._ _"_ _Glynda sighed at the persistence. She accepted the hand, and gave him a firm handshake._

"Professor?" Naruto's voice ripped the woman from her memory. "Are you all right?" He asked. The young man sat down next to her, and waited patiently for an answer.

Glynda removed her glasses to wipe her tears. "As you can see, I'm not quite well at the moment." She said to Naruto.

"Is it because of that sudden fever you had?" Naruto asked.

The woman shook her head. "That was a lie." She admitted to him. "I was suffering from…a very surprising revelation. I _shut down_." She explained. "The more I read them, the more my heart felt pain. With each letter read, it felt like a knife stabbed then twisted itself there." She paused to pace herself. She didn't hear Naruto speak during her intermission; he waited diligently for her to finish her spouting of troubles. "What's worse…is that I've neglected these letters, and that meant I effectively neglected the writer and the content he wrote in them. Time made it only worse." The last sentence was said weakly.

"Is it because that writer is dead?" Naruto asked.

"Yes."

"What did he write about?"

"You…you would need to hear an ironically short story that spans nearly two decades." Glynda said.

The young man shrugged. From his body language, he looked like he was fine with a short story. He faced the woman with his arms and legs crossed. He gave the woman a stoic face as he waited for her to retell the story. But instead of that happening, Naruto's next words completely startled Glynda.

"Why don't I sum it up in one word?" Naruto asked.

"And what word could sum up the situation?" She challenged.

He pointed at her. His blue eyes stared her down. "Mom." He simply said. It wasn't harsh, accusatory, or negative. On the other end of the spectrum, it wasn't relief, happiness, or positive when he expressed the word. It was completely neutral. So neutral that even his mind was confused on whether or not to love or hate the woman despite his words earlier.

She was silenced. Too stunned to say anything, Glynda froze underneath Naruto's gaze. She felt lost in those eyes. It reminded her of another memory.

" _I think you need to get some rest, Glynda._ _" '_ _Hotaru_ _'_ _suggested._

 _A young woman with red hair agreed._ _"_ _Yeah, Glyn. Take a breather. As team leader, I order you to stop for a break!_ _"_

" _Kushina_ _…"_ _Glynda groaned._ _"_ _Let me finish off this setting of the A.I., and then we can go._ _"_ _Chains rattled behind Kushina. Like snakes, red, flaming chain constructs of Aura poised to strike or constrict the blonde woman with a suicidal tendency to give her all._

" _Kushina_ _…_ _calm down. Please?_ _" '_ _Hotaru_ _'_ _requested._ _"_ _Remember your rules! No Semblances aimed at a teammate!_ _"_

 _A feral-looking young man arrived at the scene._ _"_ _I don_ _'_ _t see why you continue to pester her, Hotaru, Kushina._ _"_ _He said as he closed his novel._ _"_ _She won_ _'_ _t change. She_ _'_ _ll always be the lone wolf trying to take on all of the world. A wolf that will live and die alone._ _"_

" _Tukson!_ _" '_ _Hotaru_ _'_ _and Kushina chided._

 _The Faunus growled at the pair_ _'_ _s defense of someone who clearly had a death wish. He pointed at the blonde young woman._ _"_ _If she can_ _'_ _t see how_ impulsive _she is; how_ immature _she is; or even how_ ungrateful _she is for having_ someone _to look out for her, she won_ _'_ _t survive the real thing outside those walls!_ _"_

Her thoughts were yanked out when her son spoke. "I had my own letter to read too, mom." Naruto said lowly. "Dad explained some things to me. And it made sense if I looked from his perspective." He cleared his throat. "Had to punch a wall to vent out my anger when I read why he chose to do things the way he did, but it made sense." He handed to his mother the letter addressed to him. Glynda gingerly took the letter and read it to herself.

 _Dear Naruto_ _…_ _my son_

 _If you're reading this, then my fears have been realized. The White Fang my father, your grandfather, nurtured into my care has been tainted. You're also reading this because you know who you are. I'm sorry. I couldn't be there for you. Your life was in danger if they found out you were alive. They wouldn't let you live because of the simple reason you were half-faunus. People would notice the resemblance quickly, so I had Lupa hide you from the world. With her taking care of you, I could confidently say that you were safe from the people that would attempt to take your life. My best friend, Kushina, offered her maiden name as extra protection to ward off the foolish. It was all I could offer aside from the weapon you hold on your right middle finger and pinky._

Glynda stopped and looked at Naruto's hand. Indeed the location of Cielo Fiamma was correct.

 _How I know is not important. I'm sure it served you well. I'm sure you've seen and felt the changes. You're slowly getting better at fighting. But you also feel like you're being guided. It's natural. You will know in time._

 _I did all I could. Sad to say that your mother, Glynda Goodwitch, could not be there for you. I can't tell you her reasons. Those are for her to say, and for you to find out when you find her. But I can tell you this_ _…_ _she didn't want to let go of you when she first held you in her arms. Her eyes sparkled; it was the rare bloom of happiness she gave to those she cared for. She loved you despite her choice. That much I can tell._

 _I know there will be resentment, Naruto. You can never fully forgive her for the choice she made. Neither could you at my own. A parent chooses the safety of his or her child first and foremost. It's why you're in this unfamiliar position, and I'm sorry for it. Had this been on far more appropriate and perfect circumstances, I would have raised you with your mother at my side. However, what you see is reality._

 _The reality is not sweet as you can tell. But I know you'll move past this. My son is a hard-headed and reckless one. You'll change this situation to help everyone, right? Ah_ _…_ _I'm hoping too much. Not that it's supposed to mean anything bad to you! I shouldn't be forcing you to do what you're supposed to do. At this point, I hope you have no anchoring ties to the White Fang. You're not obligated to help. You choose your own path._

 _And you have my full support even in death._

 _Your dad,_

 _Minato Fiamma._

The woman lowered the letter onto her lap. "It's so…minimalistic in detail." She said softly.

Naruto hummed in agreement. "That is what I had to read and understand for a few hours now. And I've decided that I'll listen to the reason. Dad's was explanatory. The White Fang would kill me for what I have in my blood: a mix of Human and Faunus. He didn't want to risk it. Simple enough, but stupid all the same. Dad was a leader, but he couldn't command them to stop? Did he even try threatening those who challenged his position for yours and my sake? From there, it didn't seem so." He stared up at the night sky. "But still, the reasons were there. Good or bad, I'll accept it because they already happened."

Glynda looked satisfied by his response. Though…where was she in his speech?

"Now…tell me your reason, mom." He said to her. "Please." He pleaded in a hushed voice. "You owe me at least this much." He looked down onto his lap. His fingers clutched his knees tightly to the point that it looked like his kneecaps were about to blow off. "For so long I've _wondered_ who you two were. I found and solved one mystery. You are the final one."

"Naruto…" Glynda felt terrible watching her son suffer through unanswered questions. "I'm terribly sorry." She spoke softly. The woman forced herself to sit still because she didn't know how to act around her child anymore. Hug and smother, or keep distance and continue? The former felt inappropriate due to her less than stellar record as a mother. The latter was equally undesirable since that was what she did in the first place. Her fingers would twitch every now and then as if choosing over which option felt natural for this conversation. Yet despite this internal conflict, she still had her pride as a Huntress. She refused to let one single tear escape her eyes.

Naruto noticed this clearly. Try as he might, he could not ignored the subtle changes of his mother's body language. What was a proud, confident woman was a broken and regretful one in front of him. If she was able to regret, then she never hated him.

And that was enough for him.

He hugged his mother firmly. He heard his mother's breath hitch for one moment. Moments later, she too returned the hug. Gingerly at first. When she became comfortable holding her child in her arms, her hug tightened. "You're here. You're sorry, and you know what you did wasn't right. That's what matters." He said. "But I still _need_ to know why you chose to leave dad and I behind." He opened his arms, and released his mother from his hug. Mother and son stared at each other with unflinching gazes. "Can you do that here and now?"

"…I left you because I wasn't ready to be a mother." Glynda answered. "You…weren't supposed to happen."

The sentence stung Naruto's heart. He was an accident. He wanted to cut her off, but he knew better. He would get his answers.

"When it happened, your father and I were in a secret on and off relationship due to our profession as Hunters. We could not commit to a relationship with how demanding our missions were." She turned away from Naruto. "Before that, when we were trainees, I was a reckless and hopeless fool. Your father and my teammates had to constantly look out for my wellbeing because of it." She cringed at the memories that resurfaced, but moved on. "It was through this your father fell in love with me. His constant worries made him the unofficial medic of the team. And with this came tiny interactions that slowly grew into something."

" _You know you really should pay attention to your Aura levels._ _" '_ _Hotaru_ _'_ _reminded Glynda for the 630th time._ _"_ _I can_ _'_ _t always be there to bandage your scrapes and cuts all the time you know._ _"_

 _Glynda, used to the lecture, remained as docile as a newborn kitten._ _"_ _Then don_ _'_ _t do it. Let me be._ _"_

" _Well that_ _'_ _s kind of difficult._ _" '_ _Hotaru_ _'_ _said with a nervous chuckle. Glynda watched her partner with confused and curious eyes._ _"_ _As your partner, it_ _'_ _s my duty to watch your back. And since you_ _'_ _re less than perfect at the moment, it_ _'_ _s my duty to get you back to tip-top shape._ _"_

" _But_ _…_ _But you don_ _'_ _t have to-_ _"_

" _You_ _'_ _re my partner._ _" '_ _Hotaru_ _'_ _repeated._ _"_ _I have to do this. Plus, it_ _'_ _s nice to see you calm and collected. Makes you look like an undisturbed warrior princess._ _"_ _He finished with a smile._

 _Glynda_ _'_ _s cheeks tinged at the innocent compliment._ _"_ _W-Where did that come from?!_ _"_ _Her partner laughed at her reaction._ _"_ _Answer me!_ _"_ _Much to her chagrin, he continued to laugh._

"One day, we got drunk. Your dad was a lightweight and a huge flirt when drunk."

Naruto crinkled his nose at that. He kept a flat expression at the realization his 'Casanova' tendencies came from his dad; moreover, he didn't need alcohol to kick it in.

"And then you happened." Glynda flatly delivered. "Those were a confusing nine months."

"…Wow. I'm feeling the love." He snarked. He watched his mother appear frozen. Her expressions made him think that her head ran questions a mile a minute. He needed to remedy that quickly. "What made you feel that way?"

"My reasons…came from your…conception." Glynda said with hesitation. "I was at my peak as a Huntress. Fresh out of Haven's halls, my team and I were ready to take on the world to protect it from the forces that conspire against its peace and prosperity. Our team was among the gifted few to have been listed as 'elite' the moment we applied with the Hunter's Guild. We were three years in as a team, and then you came along."

"Did I cause problems for your job?" Naruto needlessly asked.

"…Yes." She couldn't lie to him. "In the Guild, it's looked down upon that a Huntress should bear a child. They don't exactly hate the idea, but the fact that a Huntress is sent away from the frontline to raise a child bothers some people." She paused to let her son take in that idea. He didn't show a reaction to it, so she moved on. "A pregnant Huntress would mean that the Huntress would be less productive in her team or not productive at all as she neared her deadline to deliver her child. It would also mean she would have to stop being a Huntress in order to raise it."

"I'm guessing you didn't want that huh?" He asked rhetorically. "You wanted to protect the world. You didn't want to get tied down because of me."

Glynda fell silent.

"Why didn't you just abort me?"

The woman snapped her head towards Naruto. "How do you even know that word and use it in that context?!"

"Lived near the red-light district remember?" Naruto snapped. "Prostitutes, strippers, and some others constantly talk about it after a lay." He paused and reflected on something. "I'm actually surprised I came out okay with few influences affecting me since I'm living near that area. Granny Lupa does _wonders_ for self-control and discipline." He shook his head, "Anyways, why didn't you just do that? Why bother giving birth to me at all?"

"Because of your father." She answered. "He was ecstatic to know I was pregnant his child, you." She raised a hand, and reached the back of his head to pull him into her arms. "It was him that made me love you, you know." She cooed. "He took care of me throughout the process. His affection for me spread to you. Instead of caring for me, he cared for the both of us; he took responsibility for the blunder we caused. He accepted the role that he needed to be a father."

"So…"

"Your father was the reason you were never aborted." She restated. Her hug loosened. "However..." He voice sank. "I still didn't want to be tied down to you. Not just because I had a duty as a Huntress. It was also because at that time, I was still reckless even though I've graduated. Still immature and overconfident -if you could believe that. It was a bad habit that stuck through thick and thin." Naruto kept silent as he patiently listened. "Anyways, I slowly grew to love the idea of you being born. I welcomed it. But...adult fears came to take its place. I feared that I would be a mother that would be constantly away for work. So involved and passionate into the mission that I would forget that I had someone waiting for me to come home soon. So involved that I may not realize the danger I'm in is actually greater than I anticipated, and die without you knowing whatever happened to me due to my recklessness."

"…"

"I didn't want that fear. So in the end, I rejected you. That also meant rejecting your father when he wanted to marry me to keep you safe from harm." Her breathing slowly became irregular. "Back then…I didn't know what he meant when he said family; he meant the White Fang! I just thought he meant a very conservative family that needed convincing! And then-"

"It's okay…" Naruto said calmly. "It's okay." But despite his words, his eyes shifted to its orange hue. His fingers scratched the surface of the seats, and made noticeable marks.

His mother's eyes welled up with tears. "I'm sorry! That reason was absolutely illogical. But it's what went through my mind. Honestly. I feared that scenario, and left you motherless in the end. It was the worst choice I could make that night." She confessed. "It didn't have to happen like that, yet I chose this. I could have wised up. Followed advice from my team, and stayed more conservative to live on for another day. To come home back to you. But I didn't _think_!" She shouted. "I didn't think!" She repeated in a lower volume. "I didn't think then, and so I abandoned you to Minato, who left you in Lupa's care. He gave me letters that told me how you've been. He hadn't even given you a name yet at that point. S-Somewhere along the way…I fell into a depressive state. I-I told myself that I wasn't a capable mother in the first place; I wasn't qualified to be your mother because I chose the easy way out. I blocked him out. And yet as years passed, I still got letters from your father. I never opened them. Never." Her voice cracked. "Not until you showed me you were capable of copying his method of attack, and made it your own. You brought out memories I thought I would never remember again…"

They went into an uncomfortable silence.

It was quickly broken. "…Let go please." Naruto requested.

Glynda followed the request, but kept her hands on his shoulders. "What's wrong?" She asked as she watched her son stare at his lap while his body trembled.

"…" Naruto suddenly stood up, and broke away her hold. He turned away from his mother to hide whatever expression was on his face. "Do you think about the past at times?" He asked.

"Every now and then."

"…If you could go back with what you know now and fix it. Would you?"

Glynda was confused on where this question came from, but nonetheless she answered with, "In a heartbeat."

The young man sighed lightly. "I've made my peace with what's happened. All the misfortunes I've experienced along with the fortunes as well…I'm gonna leave them in the past as important memories." He said as calmly as possible. He clenched his hands into fists. "I'm seventeen going on eighteen in a few months. I've a place to call home, and the people in that home are people I can confidently call family. And while I may have wished either of you to come to help me at times, I had someone else I could truly rely on. I didn't need you or dad." He heard his mother's breath stop at that moment. He started to walk away.

"W-Wait! Naruto, please!" She reached out to him.

"Stay away." He ordered. Her outstretched hand flinched in terror.

Motherly desire overrode that fear. "No! Don't say that!" She pleaded. She reached out to him again, but he continued to walk away. "Don't leave! Not now!"

He stopped for a moment. "I'm not going to end it just like that." He explained softly to his mother. "But… My childhood didn't have my parents in it for most of it." The harsh truth silenced Glynda. "What lesson can you say to my face? What advice could give to me? I survived nearly twenty years without you. I needed help along the way, but most of the success I got was all because of my own stubbornness!" His next footstep became a stomp on the floor. "What could _you_ give that only a _mother_ could give?!" He demanded. His queries were met with no answer. "I'm not a baby anymore. I don't _need_ a childhood again. I'm living in the here and now and for my future. So tell me, what could you give to me as I am now?!"

"I…don't know!" She responded in kind. She frantically got up off her seat. "I don't know, Naruto! But I'm trying in order to make up for lost time. Can you at least appreciate the idea that I'm willing to fix this?"

"...I do." He said. "I appreciate it. But it isn't what you hope it'll be! I didn't show it to my family in the orphanage, but I _needed_ you." He confessed to his mother. "But that's not the same story now. I don't need you like I _needed_ you as a toddler, as a kid, as a preteen!" He took a deep breath before he listed, "I won't _jump_ into your arms. I won't take every _advice_ seriously. I sure as hell _won't_ be babied. I'm my own person now." He took a glance behind him, "And you'll respect that, right?" He didn't wait for an answer.

Glynda stepped forward, but did not pursue. "Naruto! Can we talk about this some more?!"

He ignored the question, and said something else. "You're still my mom. Nothing will ever change that." He said to her. "Just...Just give me some time." He requested. And with that, he was already out of the arena.

Glynda fell to her knees. Mentally, and physically drained, she couldn't hold back anymore. Tears leaked out with no signs of stopping.

* * *

Outside of Beacon's walls, he took a deep breath of fresh air. He basked in the moonlight and the soft breeze that grazed his cheeks.

But his condition wasn't improving. The truth stung more than it should have. He thought he was ready, and could handle it, but it appeared that he couldn't. He couldn't handle the truth. Because that truth was so...

He couldn't describe it.

His Aura flared like a flickering candle light. His fingers clawed into cement. He bore his fangs. He needed to vent again.

"Naruto?"

He looked behind him. "Oh. Jaune, Pyrrha. Evenin'." He said with fake enthusiasm.

"Good evening to you, Naruto." Pyrrha greeted for both her and her partner. "Are you all right?"

"Totally."

"Naruto...your fists are shaking and flickering with your Aura." Jaune pointed out.

"Your eyes aren't their normal color either. And I've never seen you show your fangs before." Pyrrha added in.

Naruto clicked his teeth. "If I'm so obvious, why did you have to ask that question?"

"Common courtesy?" Pyrrha answered while being unsure of it in the first place. "I don't want to barge into your personal life by interrogating you here and now."

"Well everything's fine." Naruto replied unconvincingly.

"Do I need to enact Bro code 122 again, Naruto?" Jaune asked uneasily.

The blond janitor snorted. "If it goes the same as last time..."

"I'll be ready." Jaune weakly assured Naruto. The former unconsciously reached for Cocrea Mors. He was ready for another 'Heart-to-heart' with Naruto.

Thankfully, that didn't need to happen. Naruto's Scroll beeped. His focus switched to that tiny device. A message came from Yang.

 _Blake ran away, can you help us find her?_

 _ **And that**_ _ **'**_ _ **s it. I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m sure the ending to that mother and son encounter was sloppy. I**_ _ **'**_ _ **ve gone through at least ten revisions to make that concluding part to the conversation, but most felt flat. I feel that this is just as flat. I tried. I really did. But I don't know if it's enough or appropriate**_ _ **…**_ _ **I hope you enjoyed it anyways.**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	23. A Simple Soul

_**I knew that last chapter would bring some**_ **conflicting** _ **feelings. To those who gave lengthy criticisms, I applaud you for saying your thoughts. As I said in a PM to most of you, they were very helpful. To those who praised, I thank you all for the motivation. I do this for fun, but in the end, I want to make this a worthwhile story. As far as I can tell, Volume one of this story has its moments, but**_ **critically thinking** _ **deep about this, it**_ _ **'**_ _ **s mediocre all the way up to this point. There could have been better ways to go about some aspects. But I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m not ashamed of what I**_ _ **'**_ _ **ve reached with this story. I**_ _ **'**_ _ **ve reached at least a thousand in both favorites and follows. So thanks for the support, you guys! As we near the end of Volume one, I hope I can fix the imperfections I**_ _ **'**_ _ **ve made by adapting from them. I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m happy I have some dedicated readers follow this flawed storytelling. I**_ _ **'**_ _ **ll try to improve upon it for the upcoming chapters.**_

 _ **Now it**_ _ **'**_ _ **s time for the next chapter.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 21: A Simple Soul

"You _do_ realize you're defending a criminal organization that hates humanity, don't you?" Weiss asked as she stared down her teammate. "The Faunus of the White Fang are…despicable!"

" _Despicable?!_ " Blake stood up from her bed. She was clearly offended. "This coming from the heiress that _willingly_ showed herself in public with a Faunus?!" She snarled. "What new breed of _hypocrite_ are you? You gave Naruto a chance; why not do the same for the others?"

"Because he's different! He-"

" _Different?_ " Blake tested the word. "And what makes him so _different_ from the others? Is it because he _looks_ more human than most Faunus? Is it because he's a more _gentle_ , but blunt individual? Or is it because your little interactions with him _stirred_ something in your head?"

"What are you insinuating?" Weiss asked disbelievingly.

"You don't think I noticed?" Blake asked rhetorically. "You, Weiss Schnee, were in _awe_." She said to the young woman in white. "You were in awe of an illiterate orphan that had murdered his best friend, abandoned his education, lived with less than reputable people, and has the _raw power_ to level Vale." She took a step forward. "You were in awe of a Faunus that lived in the less than savory streets of Vale." Another step. "You were in awe with the Faunus that had the most _right_ to turn to the White Fang!"

"And where are you getting at with this?!"

"How is Naruto _different_ from the evil White Fang you continually choose to hate?" Blake demanded to know.

"It's because he's the first Faunus that treated me indifferently!" Weiss answered.

"He _mocked_ you and your family like any self-righteous member of the White Fang!" Blake argued.

"To make a point!" Weiss defended. "He said we, both races, needed to communicate."

"And yet here you are _discriminating_ a Faunus you haven't even talked to!" Blake shouted. "Do you know _why_ the White Fang hates humanity on such a scale? It's because of people like Cardin -people like _you_ that force them to make drastic measures!"

"People like me?" Weiss questioned.

"You're discriminatory!" Blake accused. "But there has to be a reason. So tell me why do you despise the White Fang so much?!"

"I'm a victim!" Weiss said as both a counter to the accusation and to the question.

From the outside looking in, Ruby and Yang saw the verbal battle between Blake and Weiss as something out of their control. They were on two defined sides: whether or not the White Fang were scum or justified. Both sister could see why Blake vehemently defended the Faunus of the White Fang, but Weiss had a point that the acts they've committed over the years have been…detestable. They couldn't barge in to stop no matter how much they wanted it to stop.

They watched the silent staredown between snowy blue and piercing golden eyes. Both sides clearly chose to hold their ground on the matter.

"You want to know _why_ I despise the White Fang? _Why_ I don't particularly like the troublemaking bunch of Faunus?" She turned away, and moved to the window to breath in the fresh air. It did little, but the volume of Weiss's next words were calmer. "It's because of them that my family has seen constant war. _Bloodshed_." The heiress snarled at the word. "My grandfather's company has had a target painted on its back for as long as I can remember."

Blake wanted to tell her the reason, so she said, "It's because-"

" _Listen_ , Blake!" Weiss interrupted. "My childhood has been filled with misfortune! Family friends disappeared. Board members were executed. A train car full of Dust…stolen." The heiress's nails clawed at the windowsill. "My father…my father tried to make peace, Blake. My father was once a friend of a Faunus. Best friend even." She faced Blake. "When my father married into the family, and took over my grandfather's company, he did whatever he could to make the Faunus under his management comfortable. Comparatively higher wages. Slightly flexible hours. Health insurance. Everything possibly thought of was done to satisfy his Faunus employees."

Team R(W)BY expected a 'but' in the next statement.

"But it wasn't enough for the White Fang. Or at least to the vocal naysayers that the leader could not reign in under his control." Weiss stated. "Under my father's care, the attacks were the lowest it's been. My father and the leader of the White Fang made great attempts to work together. The Faunus were easily satisfied by this turn of events. War for my family wasn't truly a bloody battle." She took a pause to collect some air. "But the frequency of their attacks increased _tenfold_ five years ago; when the previous leader of the White Fang 'stepped' down."

The rest of the team saw Blake freeze up for just a second, but it was there.

"It was also when my father changed." Weiss said vaguely. "I don't need to hear it from him, but when he told me his best friend was a Faunus _right after_ the loss of a peaceful leader of the White Fang…"

No words were needed to be said on the matter. No one was that stupid to not pick up the idea. Ruby and Yang were particularly shocked about that fact. Blake, if she had any shock, she hid it well after the blunder a few moments ago.

"So you want to know _why_ I despise the White Fang?!" Weiss repeated the question for Blake. "It's because they're _scum_ , who turn their back on those who want peace." She took a step forward. "It's because they're _thieves_ , who stole my family's prosperity, people's convenience for multiple things, as well as the safety of Huntsmen and Huntresses who need that Dust." Another step forward. "It's because they're _murderers_ , who killed those close to our family, even my father's closest and childhood friend, the second leader of the White Fang!" She was right in front of Blake, inches from each other. Eyes locked on. "They're immoral extremists and rotten to their very core!"

"Well maybe we were just tired of being _PUSHED_ around!" Blake shouted in retaliation whilst being unaware of what she said. She froze when she saw Weiss' furious eyes turned into worry. Into fear. She saw the heiress took a couple of steps back away from her. Blake realized she messed up. Big time.

Ruby and Yang were too stunned to say anything. They were too stunned to even reach for the door to stop Blake.

But it was too late. The B of RW(B)Y was gone.

Ruby looked to Yang. "What do we do, Yang?" She asked the elder sister for guidance.

Yang thought about it. She crossed her arms, and kept silent. A small frown replaced the usual small smile or visible joy on her face. She looked at Weiss as she thought of the situation with Blake. Various ideas went in her head. But the most sensible one was, "Let Blake calm down. If she doesn't come back by the time we wake up, then there's a problem."

"But-!" Ruby's mouth was cupped.

"Don't worry. I'll get Naruto to look. Will that be okay?" Yang asked. When Ruby hesitantly nodded, Yang took out her Scroll to send a message. Within half a minute, she sent it, closed her Scroll, and took a seat on Blake's bed.

"Are you taking your shots at me now, Yang?" Weiss asked as she too sat on her bed. "Go ahead. Let's see how dangerous that mouth can be."

"Oh it's _all_ kinds of dangerous, but I'm not in a joking mood right now." Yang said with a dismissive wave. "What you said…I'll respect them for what they are." She said calmly. Weiss seemed pleased by that, but she was cut from from saying anything. "But if you continue that line of thought -go way off the deep end with it-, and it endangers this team, I will make sure you regret whatever you did to reach that point." Her eyes turned red to show how serious she was about this.

"If she is what she says she is, I will listen." Weiss said. "Contrary to popular belief, I don't hate the Faunus. I just can't find anything to trust them with until I personally interacted with them."

"So is that why-"

"Yes. That's why I stereotyped that monkeying rapscallion." Weiss snappily answered. "It's why I treat Naruto with the respect he deserves; because I know what he's like even if it's only a tiny bit of what I've seen. Anymore questions?" She growled out with self-aimed anger at her actions.

Yang reeled back a little from the answer. "Woah! No need to lash out at us too, Weiss." She said to the heiress. "We're a team. And if this keeps happening, I don't know how long this will last."

Ruby whined. "Please don't say that, Yang."

"But it's true isn't it?" Yang asked rhetorically. "Blake and Weiss have been at each others throats for sometime. But recently, Blake kept her comments to herself to improve the relationship of this team. Now this happens and look at us. It's only a matter of time until someone lashes out on another to the point we eventually become a disjointed team!" She stood up. "If Blake comes back to this without any improvement from our part, we'll no doubt go our separate ways within the year."

Weiss let Yang's words sink in. No doubt that was some insight to the situation. "How odd." Weiss commented. "I never thought you had the capacity to be sagely."

"Please. What I said is the inevitable." Yang went to the closet to grab a set of casual clothes. "If we don't support each other as a team, this _team_ is going to split in the future." Amidst her shuffling at the closet, Yang looked at Weiss with burning red eyes, "Are you going to follow your words, Weiss? Are you going to listen to her?"

"I will." She replied.

"Are you going to understand her position?" Yang asked.

"I've already done that with Naruto, so I have some practice handling myself with heated discussions." Weiss said. She looked at Yang, who still waited for a proper answer. "Yes. I'll attempt to understand her position."

Yang smiled. "Good!" She grabbed a bag, packed some necessities, and went out the door. "The faster you two sort this out, the better off we are in the long run."

"Wait! Where are you going?" Ruby asked now that she realized that Yang wasn't fishing for night clothes.

"You don't expect me to just have Naruto do all the work of finding Blake, do you?" Ruby clamped her mouth shut. "It's all right." Yang reassured. "You and Weiss can come down to Vale tomorrow to help search. Laters." And with that, she left the room to follow after Blake.

Ruby and Weiss were left alone. The former could not do anything else but stare at Weiss. "Was she right?" Ruby asked. "Blake. Was she right in saying that you were in awe of Naruto?"

Weiss placed her hands on her knees, and looked away slightly. "Yes."

"I see." Ruby rubbed her left arm. "She sounded like she knew Naruto…"

"What tipped you off? The fact she -we- knew Naruto accidentally murdered his friend, or that he's an uneducated orphan in the wretched parts of Vale?"

"We all knew those things. But I'm not talking about that." Ruby's words piqued Weiss' curiosity. "She said Naruto has the raw power to level Vale. It's like she knew Naruto's weapon and his background because of it." Her right hand clenched her left bicep tighter. "And if she is what she implied…could Naruto be someone more dangerous than we could possibly imagine?"

Weiss barely remembered the face of Fiamma Secondo. But what she did remember was Naruto's face. Put that next to her vague memory of that photo, and there was a general resemblance. Add in Naruto's likely appearance of a lion, and it only deepened the link. The name Fiamma… ' _Flame_ ' Weiss recognized in her head.

But that was a theory. Nothing more or less. "I don't think Naruto is dangerous." Weiss answered. Ruby looked at her partner, who stood up to stare outside the window. The night summer breeze grazed Weiss' face. "However, I won't deny that Naruto's skills are evolving at an alarming rate. I'm not even sure what his limit is. Only time will tell when the truth will come out."

* * *

Naruto waited outside the front doors of the first year dormitory. Jaune and Pyrrha had already went inside, but not without some resistance. They were good friends, but they needed to know when to back off. Jaune the Immovable pestered him about what happened as well as to what happened with Blake. Naruto knew the answer, but chose to go around the question.

" _We_ _'_ _ll get answers from Blake herself if I catch her._ _"_

" _Do you think you_ _'_ _re up to the task as you are right now?_ _"_ _Pyrrha questioned. She walked up to him, and set her forehead on his own. Naruto stayed frozen at the intimacy of Pyrrha_ _'_ _s action. He could tell Jaune was just as surprised from the little gasp he made._ _"_ _You_ _'_ _re burning up like earlier. It_ _'_ _s only a matter of time until you melt down. Can you handle yourself?_ _"_

" _I just need time._ _"_ _Naruto said softly._ _"_ _So much happened tonight, but I can_ _'_ _t ignore Yang_ _'_ _s request._ _"_

 _Pyrrha pulled her forehead away. Her jade eyes stared at Naruto with reluctance and concern._ _"_ _Very well. We_ _'_ _ll keep a look out here in campus while you look for her in Vale._ _"_ _She grabbed Jaune_ _'_ _s hand then walked back into the dormitory._ _"_ _Good luck in your search, Naruto._ _"_

His sensitive ears heard the creaking of the door. Instantly, he willed himself to calm down as best as he could. However, a fist shook every now and then. He recognized the rhythm of the footsteps and how dense the volume of each step was. His eyes confirmed his guess. Out the door, Yang looked ready for a night out in the town. However, he knew what Yang had in mind if the bag slung over her right shoulder meant anything.

"Hi, Naruto. You waited for me?" She asked.

"I was about to leave right when you came out the door."Naruto replied. "Did you see Pyrrha and Jaune on the way here?"

"Yeah. Jaune looked like he wanted to stop something. Dunno what though." She readjusted the sling of her duffel bag. "Are we ready to go looking for Blake?"

"Yang. Let me take care of this." Naruto said bluntly. Yang was ready to protest, but Naruto cut her off. "Blake is afraid right now. She can't face you the way she is if my suspicion is right."

Yang, offended by Naruto's words, crossed her arms. "And what's that suspicion, Naruto?"

"She ran away, right?" Yang nodded at the question. "Then she blurted out her secret at the wrong time." He answered. The following seconds were met with silence. Yang's look of shame also helped to confirm his assumption. "Faunus that are afraid are either two things: harder to catch, or too scared to move. If you want to chase after her, you gotta let Blake ease up a little."

Yang took into account what the young man offered as information, and weighed the advice with what she wanted to personally do. But first, she had something to say to the blond Faunus in front of her. "And what about you Naruto? What's got you so uptight?" An instant of shock flashed Naruto's face before going away. "What? You don't think I noticed your right fist shaking slightly? Or that your fiery Aura is actually making the temperature warmer than it's supposed to be?"

"It's still summer, ya know." Naruto said. "You're imagining things."

"So the way you're acting right now has nothing to do with the letter?" Yang asked.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't see how I'm acting any different."

"Liar." The buxom blonde claimed. "You may be expressive as you usually are, but now you're pretty much like Blake in one aspect: speaking only when necessary."

The young man raised an eyebrow and scratched his head. "Isn't that how people are supposed to talk?" Naruto asked. "I mean if we talked over each other then-"

Yang pulled on Naruto's collar. "You know that's not what I mean, Naruto." She interrupted. "I know I have no business butting in on what happened with that letter, but now you just added yourself to my list of people to worry about."

"Wait…you have a list for that?" Naruto asked disbelievingly. Moments later, he shook his head. "We don't have time for this. Please. Just let me do this on my own."

"No."

"Blake left because she was afraid when you and your team found out that she was a Faunus." Naruto reminded the young woman.

"Blake left because she spilled that she was possibly part of the White Fang before." Yang fixed the statement. Immediately, she realized her mistake, and winced at her reflexive action.

Naruto's soft eyes narrowed. "And now that she said that, what do you think of Blake?" He asked lowly.

Caught by surprise, Yang stepped back a little without removing her hold on Naruto's collar. She had to expect a question like that, but even so, She had no idea how to answer it in any other way that most simplest one. "What do you think?" She snarked with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. "I'm going after her."

"You're willing to chase after a criminal?" He asked. "You're willing to waste your time on a runaway?" His words were sharpened like daggers. His questions were meant to sound discriminatory. They were meant to find out Yang's position in the situation.

"I don't want to make conclusions until she says the full story." Yang answered. "We've been part of a team for months. She could have attacked Weiss at any point in time. There had to be a reason why she didn't do it."

"There doesn't have to be a reason." Naruto argued. "Some actions come from impulse ya know? If anything, what could you say once you realize there's no reason at all?"

Yang's eyes were wide with disbelief. "Are you seriously asking me that a controversial topic like the White Fang and Blake in the same sentence might have no meaning in between?" The hand that held on to Naruto pulled down to get him on eye level with her.

"It's a possibility."

"Then I spit on that possibility." Yang countered the statement with her own headstrong declaration. "I'm going to find her, and find out the truth from her."

An unfamiliar -invading- memory seeped into Naruto's mind. For one moment, change occurred. His peripheral vision switched over to something completely different. He was on a river fueled by the force of a waterfall. He mostly saw red. However, at the center of his vision, his focus, a black-haired boy was on the other side of a river. The boy's face was furious much like he was. His voice sounded equally furious. Naruto chose to echo the words of that unknown boy.

 _"What the hell are you?"_

Yang felt that question wasn't an insult, but rather an eye-opener to her resolve. "I'm Yang Xiao Long, member of team RWBY, and Blake's partner." She answered without hesitation.

"Is that it?" Naruto asked. "Sounds a little too simple dontcha think?" Yang didn't answer either question. "Why?" A gentle hand reached for the hand that held onto his collar. "Why go so far for her? Is it because she's your partner and member of the team?"

Yang shook her head. "Those reasons may be part of it, but it's mainly because she's my friend."

" _Your friend!_ _"_

"That's all it takes?" He received a nod to his question. His glare softened even more then eventually turned into an understanding expression. The simplicity of the reason struck with him somehow. He felt that if he had lived another life, he had to have acted like Yang would: straightforward and headstrong. He firmly grasped Yang's hand. "Never change, Yang. Your brightness is like the sun. Shine through all the darkness, okay?"

Yang accepted his plea no matter how cheesy it sounded. She instantly saw Naruto's mood lightened up as she felt Naruto's warm hands flow with heat that seemed to burn her skin with invisible flames. Yang didn't mind it. It was a heat she could handle.

The two went to the landing pad, and requested a Bullhead for transport to Vale. The two were relatively quiet once they were in the Bullhead. Naruto was deep in thought -lost- with whatever he thought in his head. Yang resorted to silent worrying. She knew it had to do something with the letter. It was what bugged him the most when she talked to him about it. And whatever he found still troubled up until now. She saw Naruto's ring fluctuate with his Aura. The young woman realized Naruto bottled it in.

Yang's left hand intertwined with Naruto's right. The sudden action broke Naruto out of his thoughts. "What's wrong?"

Yang's hand squeezed firmly. "I'm right here, Naruto." She said warmly as she leaned on Naruto's shoulder. "You don't need to keep secrets. Whatever is troubling you here and now-" Naruto's own hand returned Yang's firm gesture. She looked at Naruto's defeated face.

"I appreciate it, Yang." He smiled at the consideration. But there was a noticeable mood shift; Yang frowned on Naruto's flipping moods. "But not right now…I know I promised to tell you what was in that letter, but I still need some time to take it all in." The young man gazed away in an attempt to hide his expressions. "Too much happened too fast." For a moment, his eyes burned orange. His legs tensed. To relieve himself off of the tension, he took a few deep breaths and exhales. "Honestly, it's getting me into…dark places in my head."

Yang hummed a tune. It was one of Weiss' songs before she came to Beacon. In a word: happy, assuring, or comforting. It spoke to Yang a lot. It was her go-to song to cheer up anyone with poor moods. And while she felt like she didn't have the signing ability, she sang the verse that applies well with the situation.

Her head rested on his shoulder while her voice, tiny and whispered, recited out the relevant lyrics. "Don't you worry about the dark. I will light up the night with the love in my heart. I will burn like the sun; I will keep you safe and warm~"

The gesture elated Naruto to some degree. It was a song he knew by heart because he used it to cheer up his little brothers and sisters whenever the day is bleak. He couldn't help but continue the song with his own whispered and smooth voice.

"Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day, I will be there to take all your fears away with a touch of my hand I will turn your life to gold~"

"With a touch of my hand, I'll turn your life to gold…" They finished together.

They let silence take over for a few moments. It was a necessary silence. The two simply sat next to each other, and basked in each other's presence. Their hands refused to let go; moreover, they seemed like they were glued together with how secured their hold was on each other's hand. And since their faces didn't face each other once, both were spared the knowledge that their neighbor blushed like stoplights.

"Thanks for that, Yang."

"No prob." She returned. "Though I have to say you should be thanking Weiss for the song. Some of them really know how to break the _Weiss._ "

Naruto snorted immediately. "That's cute and lame."

Yang scowled. "Like you could do better, Mr. I-can't-make-puns."

Naruto looked up to the Bullhead's ceiling. It took him a minute or two, but he responded with, "I _Beacon_ that I can make one for the moment. _Atlas_ I think I can try to make one. I may _Nevermore_ make a decent one after this, so I'm going write them out with a _Ren._ But I don't have one _Nora_ something else to write with along something to write on, so that's out the door. Lemme _Yatsu_ a question, Yang." He looked down to look at Yang's scowling face. "You think that's good enough?"

Yang childishly puffed her cheeks. "Just no."

"B-But you do it."

"There's a time and place for everything." Yang said.

"You made it my mission to make at least one pun when you gave me that title!"

"They weren't very well made then."

"Don't tell me you're salty, Yang."

"I'm not!"

"I think you are~"

"Am not!"

The childish exchange went on for the rest of the trip. Even in the chaos of playful pushing and tickling, their hands never escaped each other. Moreover, neither noticed the tiny, sparkling, yellow ember that flashed in between their interlocked hands.

* * *

"So I left. I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their violence. So here I am. A criminal hiding in plain view. All with the help of a little, black bow." She motioned her head slightly upwards, and twitched her Faunus ears underneath the accessory to prove her point.

Sun, a blond, tan, and partially naked monkey Faunus, kept silent to himself. What he got from that was a confession of the speaker's less than stellar past. In the grand scheme of things, Sun thought that a 'criminal' like her shouldn't say things like she said out in public of all places. But he wasn't here to give his opinion. Giving advice to one who doesn't want it hardly worked out. So he opted with a simple question.

"So…have you told your friends any of this?" He watched the look of regret cover her face.

"She hasn't." A voice answered for her. "She ran away before she could explain herself." Both Faunus looked for the person that said it. Sun didn't know who said that, but Blake did. She feared that her suspicion was correct. Her fingers twitched every now and then as she prepared for a fight. "Isn't that right, Belle?"

Blake shot up from her seat, and grabbed her Gambol Shroud from her back. She pointed her blade at the man she ran away from, a General of the White Fang. "How did you find me, Adam?! How are you even here?!"

"Not the place to say, Belle. As for how I found you…if it wasn't tuna, it was tea." Adam replied with mirth. "It seems you're stuck with a giant problem. May I be of service?" He offered a hand.

 _ **And that**_ _ **'**_ _ **s it for this chapter. How**_ _ **'**_ _ **s this guys? We**_ _ **'**_ _ **re nearing the end of Volume one in terms of canon events, so I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m sure you know what**_ _ **'**_ _ **s coming in regards to developments for a certain someone.**_

 _ **Screw it. I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m showing you a preview.**_

In the darkness of night, only his eyes could be seen. They glowed like two suns burning in the void of space. A small fireball ignited right on his forehead. Slowly, it spread out. Like a crown, it adorned his head with its vibrant blends of shades of red, orange, and yellow. Cielo Fiamma's vibrant red color started to glow due to the surfacing of Naruto's true potential. His palms exploded with his fiery Aura, which coated the hands. The soles of his shoes burned with more vigor than before. However, his footwear did not burn off. In fact, his steps left molten footprints on the ground.

He clashed his fists together. "My name is Naruto Fiamma. I don't care if you're all Faunus or not. You hurt my friends. I'm going to break all your bones even if it's the last thing I do!"

 _ **Again, thanks for the support.**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care. This is Azure signing off.**_


	24. A Simple Flame

_**Time for the next chapter. It's not the volume one finale, but close enough with the amount of content I put in here. Let's go!**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 22: A Simple Flame

Naruto and Yang's search started last night, and they both started their search at Vale's red-light district. Not much other than the usual happened. Sleazes took peeks at Yang; slick bastards tried to steal money; hookers tried to get Naruto's attention. Yeah, it wasn't all that bad considering this was a typical night. They searched through several bars, night clubs, strip clubs, brothels (Yes that happened, and it was awkward), and finally…

Junior's club.

Oh it was not a fun time to be Naruto. On one side, Naruto had to hold back Junior, Militia, and Melanie from beating Yang up because said person dared to return to cause havoc. Meanwhile, Yang refused to stop gloating…specifically at the twins…while clinging to him.

Naruto wasn't an idiot. Not when it came to Militia and Melanie's feelings towards him. They were blunt and in sync. They were just as if not more clingy than Yang demonstrated in front of the twins. The message wasn't hard to pick up unlike some people's attempts.

The situation was rocky at the start, but he got the info broker to reveal some intel, to which Junior answered by saying one of his men saw a girl with Blake's description heading West, to the pier. Naruto got his answer, so he immediately exited the building. He dragged Yang out of the club before anything unnecessary happened.

"Those twins hate me." Yang muttered an observation as they left Junior's bar. "I wonder why…"

"Probably because you dragged me, their friend, around like a boy toy?" Naruto suggested.

Yang waved it off. "Nah. Couldn't possibly be that."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders and gave up by listing every fault she did to them, "Probably because you wrecked the place before, lowered their monthly pay to cover damages, and probably intruding on their space." Yang had to ask what that last part meant. The young man stopped dead in his tracks as he realized how wrongly he phrased the sentence. He cleared his throat. "Oh, you know. Those two can be quite vain. You coming into the area and showing off your looks might have gotten them jealous." He lied as calmly as possible. "They are the Twin Divas of Junior's club. So I think it's normal to think that someone trying to one-up them is due for some targeted hate." He cleared his throat. "Anyways, I think we should find a place to rest." Naruto suggested they go find a place to rest. A hotel. But since this was the red light district… Naruto uncomfortably cleared his throat again, and said he's willing to call in a favor for a pair of free rooms.

Yang had to ask why they were at a specific type of hotel. Naruto said that the person that owed him ran the hotel. He already explained that he planned on getting the two of them a pair of rooms; however, he failed to explain that the hotel wasn't a conventional hotel. Their choice of place to rest was none other than a Love Hotel named "Love's Constriction". Not the best name, Naruto admitted, but it works for the business.

Yang argued on why not Naruto's orphanage, to which Naruto explained "No room." She suggested a proper hotel, to which he said, "You want to walk about thirty blocks? Cabs don't run here, you know. The lanes here can barely fit today's sedans." Yang got the idea to go get her motorcycle, but the problem was that it was in Beacon's underground garage.

Yang, for the sake of being just decent enough, did not want to be here. It was surprising for her to see a love hotel. It was also exciting to see and know where to find one. She may have feelings for Naruto, but it had yet to reach _that_ certain level of intimacy with him. Which basically meant that she wasn't ready for this. She actually wanted to work things out with Naruto properly and not be some one-month fling.

The two walked inside the building with uncertainty on their faces. Naruto talked with the owner, a woman with purple hair with an untamed ponytail and a tan trench coat. Naruto said it was time the woman to pay her debt. The woman looked at him, then at Yang before she got the wrong idea. Instead of two rooms, she gave Naruto one. One room to share with Yang for the whole night.

"Enjoy your night, you two lovebirds." Was the response as she ignored Naruto's protests.

The room was luxurious in terms of size and decor. The pair gawked at the master bedroom lined with satin sheets and soft...everything. The queen sized bed felt as if one could sleep on a cloud. The blanket held in the warm like a hug from a loved one. The mood lighting served to highlight the set of translucent cloth that hung above the bed as its hanging cover. Off to the side were the more...kinky tools to the act of love making. Tools that both teens decided to not use at all at this moment in time.

Naruto tried to be a gentleman, and offered himself to sleep in the bathtub, but Yang would have none of that. Either he got a good night's sleep on a bed, or she would use the ropes in the closet to tie him down without any kinky motive to it at all. Naruto gave up, and forced himself to sleep on the same bed as Yang.

The two could hardly sleep because of multiple reasons. The soft bed and pillows made it easy for anyone to fall asleep on it. Problem was for the two people that occupied it couldn't sleep with the knowledge of the other right next to them. Naruto in particular placed himself in unfamiliar territory with this situation. Even worse, his habit of wearing a very thin tank top and shorts for night clothes meant that if Yang were to press herself to him, he would feel all kinds of things that he did not want to feel. For the sake of staying alive, he kept his back to her at all times, and slept like a statue to keep Yang untainted by him and possible raging hormones. Mood lighting and setting be damned! He refused to succumb to Yang's beauty!

Next day, the Naruto woke up with nothing outrageous happening between them. Except for the part where Yang clung to him like a body pillow. The young man willed his body to not react because Yang's assets were squished on his back like extra pillows. He loved the feeling, but he didn't want junior to pop out. He forced her to wake up by shaking her. "Yang, you're crushing me." He groaned out. He felt Yang's embrace loosen, and he saw her silde over to the other side of the bed once she realized what she did.

She apologized with her back facing him. Naruto didn't mind it, but there was a degree of discomfort er...sexual tension. Yang apologized again, and explained to him about the action since it was a habit of hers to cling onto a pillow to sleep. She heard him wave it off as if it was nothing. He just warned her that that type of clinging should be "Done with someone she loved with all of her heart."

She frowned at that. The way he said it was as if he distanced himself from her. Then she thought about it. They only had one date, they still weren't boyfriend and girlfriend. They had their moments, but the two weren't committed to the relationship as of yet because of the many things that have happened on their ends. Naruto took a step back to keep things as platonic as possible without advancing out of control. Even then, she too felt that the situation went too far ahead. Thrilling sure, but this was her crush of all people that she's with! She couldn't handle that kind of advancement no matter how much the thrill rose by the second. Yang stood up, and went to the bathroom to get changed for the day.

Meanwhile, Naruto quickly texted Adam about Blake's escape as he changed into his casual outfit.

They got their belongings, then got out of the room. The sneaky snake-lady (Not a Faunus) booed at the couple because she obviously saw nothing happened between the two. Naruto rolled his eyes, then tossed the room key to her.

"Bye, Miss Anko. Don't get a slow day today." Naruto said with mischief in his voice.

"Oh, get out of here, you yellow-bellied lion!" Anko fired back with equal mirth.

* * *

Ozpin took a sip of his coffee. Hot and steaming, his drink was sufficient enough to get him through the moment's peril. He set his mug down, and looked at his fellow administrator and one of the many combat instructors here at Beacon. No words broke the relative silence. The rhythmic sound of the turning gears were hardly noise. Ozpin rather liked it. It was his own metronome. It was a clear, calming effect on his own body and mind.

However, that wasn't the case for Glynda. She was unresponsive. It could only mean that whatever transpired last night was much more dire that what he expected. "Glynda…raise your head." She didn't register his order. "I said, raise your head, Goodwitch!" Ozpin said more firmly. "I will not have one of my best colleagues look down in despair when I can do something about it. So, chin up."

Glynda craned her head up slowly, and looked at Ozpin with soulless eyes. "And what can you say that could fix the mess that I am, Ozpin?" Her voice was hollow. Dead as could possibly be.

Ozpin's left eye twitched. He never thought this destruction to Glynda's ego went to this degree. Luckily, he composed himself quickly enough to give Glynda a piece of his mind. "It seems I didn't truly understand you position, Glynda." He leaned forward. "And for that, I apologize for my lack of insight."

Glynda looked off to the side. "You have nothing to apologize for. Most of the fault is mine." She says without hesitation. "My ignorance led me to this corner. Now my son is far away from me. I shall never know the trials and tribulations, the joy and sorrow, or the bond I would have made with him if I chose to raise him. All that time, lost to the past." She clenched her teeth out of frustration. "I have no one to blame but myself."

"I can't fully grasp what you're going through, Glynda, but I can tell you this…" Ozpin took a breath, then said, "You can only move forward. The past is the past. It's important we remember what happened back then to learn from our mistakes, but you mustn't _live_ in it." Ozpin stood up from his chair. "Doing so means you ignore the people in the present. You ignore the ones who pushed to you this far."

"And what about Naruto, huh?!" Glynda lashed out. "Who pushed him to this point?!" She demanded to know.

"If you must know…" A voice interrupted. A male with pungent odor of liquor came into the room. The two administrators were alarmed. Why didn't the elevator ding for his arrival? "It's the people he's met so far in life that pushed him this far." He snorted a little at his cliché delivery of the line. "His friends and family may be a big factor of it; he never truly felt alone." He opened his flask, and took a quick chug. "But let's list off what you left your kid to deal with, Glynda."

"Qrow. I didn't expect you to come today." The Headmaster sat on his chair. He knew Qrow followed up for him sooner or later. "What happened to the boy?" Ozpin asked.

"He was a regular trouble student in pre-school and elementary." Qrow replied as he walked to the nearest pillar to lean on it. "He was a stubborn idealist kid that fought all those who hurt his friends and family. Constantly suspended him because he fought. A constant instigator? The idiots that fought him mentioned his -lack of- parents." The two men watched Glynda flinch. "Racism fueled by parents' beliefs are another reason he got in trouble. He hated discrimination. But can't fault him for fighting back against the thought; living in an orphanage with all kinds of people made him very tolerant." Qrow took another chug. "So tolerant that many Faunus in his school, except the older ones, went to him for counseling or advice."

"So he's matured at distinct aspects at a faster rate than normal." Ozpin muttered.

"It's a fragmented process." Qrow agreed. "But far more fragmented than you know…" Ozpin and Glynda wondered to what extent was Naruto's growth stunted by his environment. "You know who his role models were, Glynda? Aside from his sister figures in his orphanage, Naruto's guardians were bartenders, whores, and swindlers. His friends were pickpockets, gamblers, and dumpster divers and so on." He got off his post, and walked back and forth to give himself some activity. "He may not look it, but the kid can hold his drink. The only exception was his _special_ blend. As for the whores that looked after him-"

Glynda turned around. "Looked after him?!"

Qrow crossed his arms. "Yes, Glynda. Looked after him. Females who gave their body for money, _whores_ , actually took _better_ care of him. Compared to you that is." The attack of words struck Glynda right into her fractured soul. "Kid was taught basic street smarts, escape routes in alleyways, manners, hygiene, etiquette, and so on." Glynda was about to say something, but was stopped by Qrow. "Yes, Glynda, your kid was taught by more _motherly_ whores than you, who abandoned him without so much as realizing who he was from the start." The man's emphasis on the word drove into the woman's heart like a stake.

Ozpin realized that the scythe wielder would not stop anytime soon. "Qrow-!"

"That kid was resourceful, you two!" Qrow refused to let anyone stop him. The man's mental gears spun rapidly. He'll be damned if he let anyone stop him from his rant about Minato's kid. "Lupa let him cultivate his street smarts, and you know what happened? Crime in the red-light district went down. Bar fights that occurred with him at the scene lowered collateral damage by eighty percent, and that's if you look at the annual spending those businesses made. Rape cases plummeted because Naruto took care of it by sending assholes like those into the hospital, and then into jail. Gang activity? I'm sure you know what happened there."

Ozpin found the chance to get into the one-sided conversation. "Qrow. Calm down. I'm well aware what you're doing, but lashing out is not the best way to do it."

"Oz, I respect you, but Glynda lost mine. She needs to hear what she missed from his childhood and while he grew up. I may not be the witness, but I sure as hell can summarize what happened." Qrow put his hands in his pockets. His posture straightened. His breathing slowed. "He may be friends with pickpockets, but he returned what he stole, and let me tell you that it wasn't money. He may be friends with gamblers, but he shared the winnings and even allowed loans. He may be friends with dumpster divers, but he helped them with the search in the dumpsters then pawned it off to pawn shops nearby for profit." He shrugged a shoulder. "Kid's an angel. And that's the most surprising thing about it! That kid had every right to loathe, whine, and give the finger to the world for his misfortune, and he did it quite a few times from what you're telling me. But the fact remains that he's relatively okay. He had every right to not be the way he is right now. And yet the kid just rolled with it."

Glynda's jaw tightened up. People with lower moral standards were better at raising Naruto. They were there to see him grow into the man he is today because of their efforts while she only witnessed the result of his countless interactions with various people. "I'm a failure…"

"You are." Qrow agreed. He turned around. He was ready to leave. "I'm surprised he didn't knock you out with a punch for what you didn't do. He's as stubborn as his mother, but as compassionate as his father." He started to head for the elevator. "You're off to an abysmal start, Glynda. If you really want to make it up to him, don't baby him. He's seventeen for crying out loud. Just be there for him." He exited the room, and left the original two on their own.

Glynda returned her gaze to the general direction of where Ozpin was. Qrow's words added more damage to her. Ozpin needed to take what Qrow beaten down on Glynda, and use it to refine her. He asked, "What do you plan to do, Glynda? Sit and wallow in the past you cannot return to, or keep moving forward despite the mistake you made?"

* * *

Adam woke up bright and early for the sole reason that Naruto was in search of Blake. But how could he search for her in a fairly unfamiliar place? Lupa easily remedied that with a map and a few key locations to grab info from: A club named "Just Right", a book store called "Tukson's Book Trade", and another one being a information broker that hung around the Vale general hospital. It was a problem solved, but his appearance was another. The mask had to go as well as his coat and slacks.

Not a problem.

It took a while, but he got his information from a man named Tukson, who was a Faunus of the White Fang. Adam was glad there was no altercation because he passed a message through a trusted Fiamma faction member revealed himself as a defector to the Fiamma faction that the man was a part of. He got a general perimeter to search for by the harbor. Tukson had buddies that saw her frequent cafés to pass the time after buying one of the books in his store. If she was in that area, Tukson suggested the seaside cafés should be eliminated first before exploring the abundant seafood restaurants.

So here he was, in front of Blake and a stranger. Blake obviously wasn't happy, and the other guy, the stranger, was as cautious as he should be if he put two and two that Adam's affiliated with the White Fang.

Adam himself wasn't too hurt by the gesture. He _was_ an asshole. That he admitted. His primarily black outfit needed the splash of color. He wore a black, long-sleeved polo rolled up at the elbow. Over top was a red vest with gold seams. He wore black slacks, and a pair of black combat boots. This ensemble was personally tailored for him by Lupa. The boots were a hand me down from Qrow. At the back of his waist, his sword and scabbard were positioned horizontally. Qrow designed a clasp mechanism with highly articulate joints to hold the scabbard in that area on his back. He could pull on it, and still use his sword style without much hindrance. Best part: it acted like a belt. Nothing went too aesthetically out of place. His mask was no more. What replaced it were a pair of red-tinted sports sunglasses.

"It seems you're stuck with a giant problem. May I be of service?" He offered a hand.

"What game are you playing at, Adam?" Blake demanded to know.

The man crossed his arms. "You haven't heard of recent developments, so you wouldn't know."

"And what do I need to know, Adam?" Blake asked. Said person in question shook his head. "Tell me!"

"You're lucky people aren't paying attention." Adam spoke calmly as he stepped forward. "If the wrong person heard you. You'd be sent to jail within minutes." He let Gambol Shroud's tip touch his chest. The towering Bull Faunus did not flinch. "We'll talk about this in a safer place, understand?"

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Blake hissed.

Adam pulled an object from a small pouch at the back of his waist and underneath his weapon. He brandished a metallic object smaller than a rectangular eraser. The object's red gem reflected the sun's rays for a moment. On the gem was an engraving of a tornado. "Not even because of this?" He asked.

Blake lightly jabbed her weapon against Adam's chest. "Where did you get that?! Did you force Lady Nikos to 'step down' too?"

"It's identification." Adam replied as he returned the ring into the pouch. "And for the record, Lady Nikos resigned from her position as _Tempesta._ Anyways, he knows you ran away. He's helping your teammates find you." The mention of Blake's teammates caused the girl herself to look down in shame. But there was no time to wallow. Adam continued on with his explanation. "And since I'm here, he asked me to help find you since I know at least somewhat of an idea of how you think." He stepped back and turned around. "Trust me when I say that I'm not your enemy. He did say he wanted to have a talk with you about something." Just implying Naruto's name calmed Blake down -if only slightly.

"Guys." Sun interrupted. "Can we not do the pronoun game on the third wheel here?" He requested. "Please. I'd like to know what I'm getting into considering who you two are a part of."

Adam stared at Sun for a quick moment before returning to Blake. "Like I said, we'll talk in a safer place."

* * *

The two blondes headed for the entrance to the shopping district, where one could easily be lost in the sea of people. Even in early hours of morn, the district never failed to fill the sidewalks and streets with people. The sunny day shone down on the lively citizens of Vale, and the blue sky wasn't hindered by the sight of any giant cloud or the sign of rain, storm, or lightning. All in all, a fine day to the people.

Naruto suggested both of them split up to cover more ground. His companion didn't object that idea since searching for Blake is the main priority. Yang chose to go through businesses one by one while she slowly advanced down to the harbor. Naruto himself took to the streets and alleyways that he remembered quite well as a child.

In the shadow of the buildings he trekked through, he searched through secret Faunus hangouts in alleyways, rooftops, and hidden establishments only accessible by those who can see in the dark. Each time, the answers were pretty much the same, "Never seen her before." Even when Naruto revealed himself as a Faunus to the overly cautious bunch of Faunus, he didn't even get a sprinkle of information because they truly didn't know.

After hours of searching, Naruto stopped at the edge of an alleyway. He leaned his back on a cold brick wall, and stood there wondering where could Blake be. He closed his eyes, and cleared his mind of a few troubling things in his head. He chose to relive the good times in his mind to ease off some stress. His face gave off a small smile. "Reminds me of one of our hide and seek games, Sage…" He muttered softly while his voice was drowned out by the sounds of lively people that chattered the day away. He combed his hair back with his right hand. "Only this time…it's much harder, and more dangerous considering who she is and what she used to be a part of." He tapped the back of his head on the wall. "Maybe Old man Tukson can help."

He dashed off into the more tranquil part of the shopping district, and found himself staring at a closed off bookstore. Well…not really closed off, but the windows were set in private mode. Seeing that his agenda was more important, Naruto wasn't too troubled in disobeying this one time. He barged through the door, and yelled, "Old man Tukson! I got a question!"

Three pairs of eyes watched him from the counter: the owner, and two familiar faces.

"Oh! Emerald! Mercury! Long time no see!" He said with glee as he entered the building. "How's it going?" He came closer, but stopped midway. He raised a finger as a sign of his change of mind. "Actually, don't answer that because you two look great, and I something important to ask this old guy here."

"Kid. The hell are you doing here?" The owner asked. "As you can see, I'm having a private chat with these two." He saw the blond wave off the important detail like it was nothing. "Dammit, kid! Why am _I_ the only one you disrespect?!"

"Because a guy reading porn, made by some old guy with an outfit that came from Vacuo's ancient theatre shows, right at the counter isn't someone I'll fully respect." Naruto delivered the truth bluntly. Tukson attempted to retort. "Don't even say it's 'Erotic art', pervy old book hoarder! I've heard that excuse many times from the hardcore minority of guys and girls at Beacon. It's porn, and let's leave it at that." With his final words done, Naruto watched the owner rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"All of my hate…" Tukson muttered. He shook his head, then stared at Naruto. "If you're looking for a friend, I already told the other one helping you that she could be somewhere around the harbor."

"Oh! So you met him? Cool. Thanks for the help, Old man Tukson!" Naruto turned around and dashed out the store.

* * *

Adam, Blake, and plus one (Sun) were in one of homes of a former resident of Lupa's orphanage. It wasn't too far away from the orphanage, but it was still distinguishable that the property was outside the red-light district. It had been an hour of back and forth arguing, exposition, and explanation as to how both Faunus of the White Fang spent their years as well as current events.

Sun, the third wheel listening to the whole debacle, interrupted once he got an inkling of what was going on. He slapped his palms on his knees, and said, "So! Let me get this straight. Adam, you're turning over a new leaf, and your first act of change is to help bring your rightful leader to his proper place. Blake, you ran away from the White Fang because of all the violence that's been going on, and now that you found out your leader is here, you plan of protecting him from the shadows, but can't happen now that your teammates know who you are, and you chose to run away because of it. Right?" Adam nodded. Blake as well.

"I'm surprised you got that from our spat, Sun." Adam commented.

Sun crossed his arms while he held a smug look on his face. "I have my moments." He said. "And I got no comment at the hidden insult at my intelligence."

Adam sat up straight on his chair. "Your words, not mine." He turned his attention to Blake. "Well? What do you say, Blake? You still have a chance to do the right thing, and explain yourself to your teammates. After all, you turned your back on the White Fang that you now know."

"I'm sure they don't trust me after my outburst." Blake somberly replied. She went into a silent and deep thought. Her breathing was calm as she made her conclusions. "Weiss will surely despise me because of what I was. Yang and Ruby may alienate themselves from me because I hid this from the two of them." The young woman's bow drooped as her head stared down on her thighs. "I'm a coward."

Adam's expression softened. "Indeed you are." He stood up from his seat. "You ran away from explaining yourself. You ran away from the confrontation once it reached a new peak. You ran away when you could have stood your ground." He put his face close to hers. "You are nothing more than a coward, Belle." The Bull Faunus watched as Blake squirmed at her seat as she listened to his words. "So why then? Why hide in plain sight? Why go to Beacon? What did you seek by becoming a Huntress? Why the _hell_ are you becoming a Huntress?!" Adam drew his blade, and pointed it over Blake's skull.

"Hey! That's enough!" Sun said as he grabbed on Adam's left shoulder.

A hand yanked Sun off of Adam, and dragged him to the hallway. "Let him say what needs to be said, Wukong." It was Lily, who wore her white battle dress because everything else was in the laundry. "It's better to reveal your true feelings than lie. If she refuses to change from his words alone, then let action speak."

"Umu! Wise words indeed sister dearest!" Olympia agreed as she stood beside her sibling. The bodacious red battle dress she wore was a stark contrast to Lily's gentle white. "Sometimes, it is necessary for passionate words of criticism is needed for a person to change. Like molten steel in a blacksmith's hands, she can be shaped, changed into a better person if this is successful!"

"Olympia…none of that at this hour." Lily pleaded.

"Rejected, sister!"

Lily sighed. "If only Aster or Sakura were here to discipline you."

"Why did you become a Huntress-in-training?!" Adam demanded to know.

"To seek justice!"

"Justice isn't found, Belle! People make the choice to do justice!" Adam shouted at Blake.  
"Officers, vigilantes, Huntsmen and Huntresses, even the sparse good-natured civilians make the choice to enact justice. If you seek it, then you aren't fit to be a Huntress!" He raised his blade. "You are nothing more than a waste of space."

Blake stood up from her seat, "If _I_ _'_ _m_ a waste of space, then why don't you put me out of my misery?!"

Adam flinched. Eventually, he withdrew his blade then walked past Blake. The action confused the young woman. "Very well." Adam muttered lowly. "I shall fulfill that wish." With speed that not even Blake could react to, Adam slashed at Blake.

Strangely enough, she still stood as if nothing happened. Blake didn't know when her eyes shut in preparation for her death, but she opened them once she realized she was still alive. "W-What?"

"You died here and now in another reality. Don't make me follow through next time in this reality, coward." Adam warned harshly. He sheathed his blade angrily. "Now…what will you do with your life now, Belle? Run away and make me cut you down without hesitation, or are you going to stand for what is right?"

Blake turned around. "You have no _right_ to say that you stand for justice!" She snarled at the unflinching bull. "Not when you and your party murdered Fiamma Secondo. Not now when you're trying to atone either!"

"I know I have no right." Adam admitted. "It's why I'm fighting to _earn_ that right to stand by our lord's side to be his _Tempesta._ "

"Say what you will, but it doesn't change the fact that our crimes have made it worse for the Faunus. And the Dust robberies in Vale are being pointed at the White Fang because of it!"

"And they aren't wrong." Adam responded calmly.

"I refuse to believe that!" Blake said. "Why would the White Fang need that much Dust in the first place?"

"Hey, guys? If you're talking about Dust…" Sun trailed off for a moment when Blake snapped her head at him. Quickly, he finished his thought. "I overheard some crew members on the ship I was on about a Schnee company freighter chock-full of Dust. If you want confirmation that the White Fang aren't involved in the robberies, then this is a prime situation to look into." He scratched his head. "I mean…isn't the Schnee company the consistent target of the White Fang? If they aren't there, then they're not the ones robbing people of Dust, right?"

"A sound suggestion!" Olympia exclaimed. "Reach out for the truth through action, not mere words!" The extravagant woman was dragged out of the hall by her sister, who mumbled something about Olympia's overstayed relevance to the conversation.

"Anyways…not a bad plan, right?"

"It has merit. When will the freighter's load be dropped off?" Blake asked.

"Should be done by sunset. But I'm sure they're gonna wait it out until no one is actually there to steal all of it."

"So let's wait." Blake decided without hesitation.

* * *

Naruto exited his twentieth establishment within the hour. No such luck. The servers could not say whether or not they saw Blake. He checked the time on his Scroll. By estimation alone, he'd been searching from the dawn at seven to what seemed to be four at the moment. ' _Out of battery. Great. How am I going to contact Adam now?_ ' He wondered to himself. He pocketed his Scroll before moving on to the next restaurant.

"Naruto!" A female voice shouted behind him. "Naruto wait up!"

Naruto turned around to look at his stunning exotic beauty of a friend stop right in from of him. "Emerald? Are you done with your talk with Old Man Tukson? And where's Mercury?" He asked his friend.

"Yeah. We finished our talk with him." Emerald replied. She pointed a thumb behind her. "And Mercury is around the corner finishing his comic book."

"Mercury? Reading?" Naruto snorted.

"And what about you, Janitor of Beacon?" Emerald asked. "I'm sure employees have access to the campus library. I'm sure you've advanced at least a little in reading skills." She crossed her arms, and struck a small pose and smirk that gave off the idea that she knew something about Naruto's current life.

"A-Are you stalking me?" Naruto slowly stepped away while he judged Emerald critically.

Emerald's eyes furrowed. "No! What gave you that idea?" She asked after she denied the accusation. "I only know about you being in Beacon from your viral video in the Dustnet." She poked her friend's forehead. "Don't tell me fame is making your ego blow up some more."

"Well….he _did_ bag a "Not-date" with the Schnee, and….and got another one the next day. I say he's fitting into his small exposure of fame, and milking it for what it's worth." Mercury said through a few sips of soda while he focused on reading his comic. The gray-haired teen gave Naruto a thumbs up. "By the way, congrats on the smooth operating, man."

"That wasn't smooth operating, Mercury." Emerald said. "It's called being a manwhore." Naruto went stiff as a board at the idea.

"Jealous that it wasn't you?" Mercury asked.

"No I'm not!"

"Denial is always the first step." Mercury teased.

The two bickered among themselves for minutes. Mercury's teasing aggravated Emerald to no end, and the latter constantly fueled the former's agenda to irritate. Naruto observed them as if they were an old married couple that fought over some of the most tiniest things. He snorted a little at the idea. Irony was the word stuck in his head. Though the idea was plausible. The pair's constant arguments were a way to keep the other grounded to reality.

He smiled at the two of them. "Nice to see you guys." Naruto said as he slung his arms around his friends' necks. "Emerald, the hard-headed girl with an iron will and an electrifying look. How I missed your blunt words." He cheekily nuzzled his forehead on Emerald's cheek.

Emerald shivered at Naruto's touch. "Cut it out, Naruto!"

Naruto snapped his head towards Mercury, and got his face held within Mercury's grasp.

"Don't you _dare_ try that sentimental crap on me, man!" Mercury yelled as he tried to balance his soda and comic in one hand. "We get it you missed us. We missed you too, but don't get all mushy about it!"

Naruto pulled his head back. "Tch. You're no fun, you drifter." He grumbled. "Seriously, could you get anymore of a loner at times?"

"Hey!" Mercury was offended by that. "I come and go whenever I please. It just so happens I'm needed a lot." The assassin jabbed a thumb at Emerald. " _She_ needs my help a lot of times, but she just won't admit it." He shook his head while clearly being amused by Emerald's sputtered denials.

Emerald scowled at her partner. She raised a fist and clocked Mercury on the head. "Ever the drifting cloud that follows me to bring me exponential misery."

Naruto nodded. "That describes you to a T, Merc. It sort of like-" His stomach grumbles. "Well...I guess I'm running on fumes. Anyone want ramen?"

* * *

"Here. I got you an apple." Sun said as he offered Blake the fruit.

Blake judged Sun negatively. "Do you you _always_ break the law without a second thought?"

"Weren't you in a cult?" Sun fired back.

Silence.

She frowned upon the quip back at her before she sighed. "Remind me why is Adam not here again?" Blake requested.

"He's considered dead by the White Fang until proven otherwise." Sun answered monotonously. He crossed his arms as he tried sat with his legs crossed on the rooftop. "Doesn't make him any less trustworthy right now considering that argument you did." He took a bite of his apple, and chewed it up. "You guys need to cool off and get it together because if you're supposed to be guarding one guy, I'm sure he isn't going to like your constant fights."

"It's unlikely that he'll choose Adam as a Guardian. He was among the people that murdered my lord's father." Blake explained.

"And the part about your family supposed to be protecting your so-called lord?" Sun asked. She immediately eyed Sun suspiciously. "What? Adam said your family was close to your lord. So close in fact that you were bodyguards. And yet...from what I heard, here you are in Vale because you ran away, and you just found out about him months ago." His tail scratched the bridge of his nose. "If I were your lord, I personally wouldn't keep you two around because you two are risks. In fact, I-" His next words were silenced by the screech of an engine that pierced the silence of the surrounding area. "Well... _someone's_ here."

An armored Bullhead made contact with the ground. It's cargo bay opened and revealed several uniformed individuals. Their black hoods covered their hair, and their half-masks covered their faces. They walked down the bay door guns or swords in tow. On the back of their white vests bore a certain insignia.

"No..."

"You really didn't think it was them, did you?" Sun asked softly.

Blake shook her head. "No. Deep down, I knew it was them. I just don't understand why they would need this much-"

"Hurry up, would you?!" A man's voice demanded. The man walked down. His white coat and black bowler hat as well as his slick orange hair were definitive characteristics of one criminal. "We aren't the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, so why don't you animals pick up the pace."

"Roman Torchwick?" Sun couldn't believe his eyes.

Neither did Blake. "I don't understand. The White Fang would never work with a human. Not with someone like him." She stood up and twitched at the idea of killing Roman. Her golden eyes burned at the sight of the criminal that ordered her Faunus brethren. "It's unthinkable that this is happening." She stepped forward, but Sun stopped her.

"We have proof that it's the White Fang. What are you planning to do, Blake?" Sun interrogated. He felt Blake tugged against his grasp, but he firmly kept her in place. "Don't be an idiot. What can you do against that many people?"

Blake successfully escaped Sun's hold. "Adam trained me. I have skill worthy of thirty of those low-level fighters." She pulled her bow off of her ears and tied it around her left hand. "I may have left the White Fang, but I am more than enough to stop them." She said confidently. She jumped off the warehouse roof without warning. Sun couldn't stop her.

She snuck up from behind as Roman ridiculed a Faunus. She jumped to wrap her ribbon several times around Roman's throat. The man was forced to bend to Blake's level as he struggled to breath from the lack of air. She caught him off guard. He struggled to say something, but the ribbon wrapped too tightly. The White Fang members surrounded the two. "Brothers of the White Fang!" She called out while she presented herself, Faunus ears and all, in the spotlight of the Bullhead. "Why are you aiding this criminal scum?" The surrounding members lowered their weapons, but their body language showed they didn't care about her words. Blake understood that they were far too engrossed into whatever agenda they planned.

"We are achieving our goal, fellow sister!" One of them replied. "Release him, and join our evolved cause!" Several Bullheads hovered above the area. Their spotlights shone down on Blake and Roman. "If you refuse, then face justice!"

The ground underneath Blake exploded as soon as that happened.

* * *

Adam watched from a not too distant rooftop. He was calm on the outside. His previous title as General made him composed. To stay "dead" in the eyes of his corrupted brethren, he chose to not make contact at all. But in consequence, he could not help the moment Blake interfered. He drew his blade, and cut through a wall out of frustration. He had to watch Blake and Sun fight a small battalion of them without any aid. "Hold on, you two. Help will come. I'm sure of it." His hope didn't waver as he watched Blake under fire from several directions.

If Naruto was nearby at all, then he would investigate the battleground. It's in Naruto's blood to fight for what's right.

* * *

Ruby and a friend named Penny made their own search around Vale when Weiss ditched her. The two found themselves roaming around more stores than the number of rules there was at Beacon's student handbook. When the explosion happened, the pair stared at the billowing cloud of smoke. The young scythe wie"lder's gut feeling told her that whoever was in that explosion had to be associated with Blake in some way shape of form. She ran to the destruction as more and more explosions occurred. ' _Hold on,_ Blake.' She told herself while she ran faster and faster towards the harbor.

* * *

Ozpin inspected the disturbance from his office. With both hands on his cane, the Headmaster frowned at his inability to do anything. The tall pillar of smoke swept farther into the ocean's horizon. That kind of firepower was reserved for demolition teams of Huntsmen and Huntresses. To have criminal's obtain this destructive potential was unnerving. "Quite vexing. Why are you not stopping this, Qrow?" He asked as he watched the live feed of the chaos via Qrow's Scroll.

" _I want to test the kid._ "

Ozpin frowned at the response. "Test. Who-"

" _The heir, Oz._ " Qrow answered. " _This is the perfect opportunity to see if he can awaken his Aura fully._ "

Ozpin watched the destruction increase by the second. The observer sighed. "Very well. But don't let it go out of control. That is all I ask." He said to his friend. "That and I will need to report this to Glynda. She needs to know her son is in the chaos."

" _Tell her. I don't mind. She can watch how her son survived without her._ " The scythe wielder set himself on mute and let the visuals play out on the holographic screen at his window.

* * *

Naruto, Emerald, and Mercury stopped when they felt the ground rumble. After their stop at A Simple Wok, the two agreed to help search for Blake. Hours gone by, but to no avail. When the explosion rang out, they searched around for the source of it, but Naruto already found it. He stared eastward, towards the harbor. "Something isn't going according to plan. " He muttered.

"Probably a gang shootout." Mercury dismissed the event as some passing moment on the nightly news. "C'mon." He tugged on Naruto's shoulders. "Don't we have a friend of yours to look for?" He pulled again, but Naruto refused to move.

"I'm heading over there, you two." Naruto said. He refused to look away. His blue eyes slowly morphed into orange when he saw the sight of smoke and fire in the night sky. His hands lit aflame with his Aura. His friends backed up from the sudden rush of searing heat. "Nice seeing you guys. Hope we can chat properly sometime." The young man took out one of his butterfly knives and chucked it towards the direction of the explosion. Naruto gave both of his friends one last look. He smiled at them. "See ya." He snapped his finger.

Then he was gone in an orange flash.

* * *

Blake rushed Roman from multiple directions so much that the area around the man was a shadowy blur masked by the "death" of the young woman's copies. She couldn't fathom how skilled the criminal she engaged with in a battle. He matched her frenzied strikes blow for blow. Nothing seemed to get passed his defense. Even with both blades of Gambol Shroud equipped, Blake's offense was shut down by the criminal's timed parries and blocks.

In a moment of frustration, Blake slammed down both her blades right where Roman's head was. The man parried the blow perfectly, then smoothly hooked Blake's left ankle with his cane. He pulled her down to the ground with a mighty thud. Without a chance of recovery, Blake was shot several times by explosive Dust rounds. Add insult to injury, he stomped his foot down on Blake's neck.

Blake attempted to claw her way out, but that desire was quickly stomped by the need to grab air that Roman refused to let her have. "What's wrong, Kitty? Cat got your tongue?" He mocked. "Let me help you with that!" He said happily as he aimed the end of his cane right between Blake's eyes.

"As if, you bastard!" Sun shouted as he ignored the White Fang members and leaped towards the criminal with his feet leading the charge. The young man successfully landed his surprise dropkick right on Roman's face. He then bent his legs, then sprung upwards while Roman tumbled backwards from the force. Sun fell down with the force of gravity. His staff followed his will and swung down at an arc right for the man's head.

Roman stepped aside. He took the chance to step on Sun's staff. However, the young man twisted his weapon right off Roman's foot. The cane wielding criminal chose to swing with battering force several times, but Sun maneuvered his staff to his left, right up, and down just to defend. "C'mon!" Roman goaded. "Where's the monkey business?"

"It's all animal jokes with you, isn't it?" Sun snarled as he kept on the defensive. "Fine then, no more playing around!" He pulled back his staff, and broke it into two batons. He used one to block while the other took the advantage of Roman's opening. Unfortunately, Sun's opponent was more experienced compared to some wannabe Huntsman. Roman ducked under his attack, and hooked Sun by the hook of the cane. Sun's head followed the path of the cane's swing; his head made contact with the ground.

Blake rushed in to help, but even with the advantage of numbers, Roman didn't break a sweat. She tried every opening. His armpits, back, hamstrings, neck, and anything else...she exhausted all her options just trying to get past Roman's guard. Amidst the numerous clashes, Gambol Shroud glowed purple. In a desperate attempt, Blake used her Aura to augment her upwards slash. However, she was shot once again.

Sun caught her, but the young pair were sent right at a shipping crate. They were cornered by the rest of the White Fang.

"Brother, sister, why refuse us? Why fight us?" A member asked.

Blake got off of Sun, and leaned her back to the shipping crate. She cradled her abdomen as spikes of pain surfaced with each twitch of her body. "Y-You stain...the will of the Fiamma!" Blake accused the White Fang. "You aren't peacemakers; you are warmongers!"

"It's sounds so simple when someone says what they want to hear." Roman said as he twirled his cane. "You only scratched the surface of what's going on, Kitty." He said to her and Sun without any fear of repercussion. "Even then, I have a feeling you have _no_ idea what's been planned for years now." He stopped twirling his cane. "Take pleasure in knowing that you don't know a thing right before you die. " He aimed his cane at a wire that held up a shipping crate.

Sniper fire came down at rapid succession. The criminals scrambled for cover. "Leave them alone!" Ruby shouted at them.

"Red?!" Roman could not believe this. A little girl came to help before actual law enforcement did? Ridiculous. "Will someone please shoot her away with some gunfire?" Roman shouted at the White Fang members equipped with firearms. The thief watched as every Faunus with a gun set suppressive fire against the little red in a hood. Satisfied, Roman went to finish his fight with the two annoying brats that fought him. He looked for them, but they were already a gone. He looked to his right. "Not getting away that easy!" He shot the containers above the fleeing duo, and watched it fall down to crush the two.

That was the idea. Aura could protect from a fatal blow, but if that person were too physically weak to push away a crushing force, the individual was as good as dead. That was the idea. However, another interruption occurred.

An orange flash latched onto the container. Two jets of flame shot out as the individual struggled to keep the container afloat. Slowly, the container descended to the point the newcomer's feet grazed the ground. To anyone that looked closely, they saw the face of a person that wanted to live. A face that had regrets plastered on. A face pf a person with a dying will. The newcomer chucked the container at a Bullhead. Roman heard three distinct snaps of a finger, before three explosions destroyed the container into a firework of Dust. Burn Dust illuminated the sky. Freeze Dust kept the Bullhead stuck in the air because a spire of ice paralyzed it's motor functions. Shock Dust fried the electronics, and a mixture of others created a giant, scorched mess.

Once again in a flash, the fiery silhouette of a young man darted across the night sky, and he _punched_ an engine ofoff the fuselage of one Bullhead. The other one was dropkick into the ground. They crashed into multiple containers, and exploded into a fiery explosion.

In the darkness of night as well at the firestorm illuminating his back, only his eyes could be seen since his body was mired in shadow. They -the eyes- glowed like two suns burning in the void of space. A small fireball ignited right on his forehead. Slowly, it spread out. Like a crown, it adorned his head with its vibrant blends of shades of red, orange, and yellow. The gauntlet's vibrant red color started to glow brighter than ever. His palms exploded with his fiery Aura, which coated the hands. The soles of his shoes burned with more vigor than before. However, his footwear did not burn off. In fact, his steps left molten footprints on the ground.

He clashed his fists together. "My name is Naruto Fiamma." He announced for all in the area to hear. His flames undulated in response to his calm fury. "I don't care if you're all Faunus or not. You hurt my friends. I'm going to break all your bones even if it's the last thing I do!" He roared without malice in his voice.

Murmurs. The White Fang murmured amongst themselves. Among the many emotions that ran through their hearts and souls...confusion, denial, or anger were the prevalent ones. Fiamma. They trembled with malice. They hated that name. Loathed, detested, disgusted, or any other synonym was used to describe their attitude towards the dynasty comprised of weak-willed lions that never initiated reform until it became a bigger problem. Fiamma was a name for procrastinators without any backbone.

The gunmen aimed their weapons at the Fiamma. They fired countless shots at the exact same time. The bullets streaked across the area. The Fiamma kept his forearms together like a boxer. His Aura radiated outwards like a shield. He tackled one gunman, then punched another before he chucked that same Faunus into a line of them. The Fiamma snapped his fingers, and an explosion rang out.

The Faunus extremists flew in multiple directions, and stayed down because of the disorienting and disabling attack. The remaining few charged in with blade in hand. The first one rushed with a predictable slash. The lion parried the blow easily. He drove his elbow right underneath the attacker's arm, and dislocated it. He slammed the attacker into the ground, then punched with enough force to dent the ground. Another jumped at him with a fist cocked. The Fiamma dodged marginally while he returned fire with a charged counter punch right at the mask. The White Fang member would have flown away, but the Fiamma grabbed a leg before that could happen. A bruising punch to the chest pinned the poor sap to the ground.

Ruby went to Blake's and Sun's side. She went through the necessary questions while Blake and Sun watched Naruto trampled on every White Fang member in the premises. She watched Naruto dislocated another member's arms then chucked him at a shipping container. "So he's awakened it." She muttered.

Ruby looked puzzled. "What do you mean by that, Blake?"

"His Aura. It's returned to him."

Ruby looked at Naruto, who scorched the ground as he dashed towards the remaining few White Fang members. "That's only his Aura? What about his Semblance?" She asked Blake.

Blake shook her head. "Both are deeply linked together to the point that even I can't tell whether or not his attack is Semblance or just pure Aura."

"Unreal..." Both Ruby and Sun voiced out while they watched the destruction grow by the second.

Just then, the explosive attacks stopped. Naruto stayed in place. He defeated all the White Fang members. One remained. The young man's expression remained uncharacteristically neutral. "Roman. Long time no see." He said calmly. Through the fire, Roman's silhouette walked towards Naruto.

"Hey, little Cub. Ditto to you." Roman greeted with a smirk. "Like the look. Very...spicy."

"Why the hell are you doing this?" Naruto asked.

Roman walked back and forth nonchalantly. He twirled his cane while he did so. "Cliché as it sounds...it's information for me to know, and for you to beat it out of me." He aimed his cane at Naruto, then fired.

* * *

A mysterious figure watched over from an unfamiliar landscape mired in fog and crystals that glowed ominously. She was satisfied by the outcome. Her wait was over. She waited so many centuries for that soul - _His soul_ \- to resurface into this world. Her sultry voice echoed into the air as they reached the ears of her follower.

 _The Hero_ _'_ _s soul ignites_

 _From its boundless slumber._

 _Come. Come and join, Hero;_

 _Join in the tale_

 _-In the blight-_

 _Of conquest and lies;_

 _Come the Flame, tarnish in your sky._

 _Vow that you shall fall to sin;_

 _Like a flickering flame,_

 _Let the Hero fall_

 _Forevermore._

 ** _And that's it for this one. I apologize for any spelling mistakes. I finished the rest of this by phone. If there are some major problems, I'll fix it after I'm done with my Spring Break. Anyways, what you see is what you get. Hope you enjoyed._**

 ** _The poem at the end is loosely based off al verse of Amalee's cover of "Lost in thoughts all alone"._**

 ** _So review, follow, favorite, I don't care._**

 ** _This is Azure signing off._**


	25. A Hero's Resolve

_**And this is the volume one end. Are you ready?**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 23: A Hero's Resolve

Penny Polendina, the first synthetic being capable of generating an Aura, watched as a blond Faunus tore through the group of White Fang members as if they weren't there at all. Her eyes scanned him at ridiculous speeds. Power, weight, height, weapon, and biography -she scanned it all to understand the newcomer. However…

"Naruto Fiamma." She muttered robotically. "No record of individual. Close hit: Naruto Uzumaki. Orphan, seventeen-years-old, currently a janitor at Beacon Academy. Possibly related to the Uzumaki clan. Information inconclusive. Assigning ten percent of capacity to searching for relevant information." Instantly, her mind accessed the full extent of the Dustnet, and eventually was bombarded with the most significant keyword, Fiamma. The family, the infamous wielders of flame, came up as the most relevant. However, the name was blocked off, deemed too important to let anyone access it even from her.

Her body's system protocols blared in her head. They warned her to stop this. It warned her that the information she sought out was top secret; that even her, a toy and sword of Atlas, could not be trusted with information of such importance.

She defied the order, a first for her. She used up more of her metal capacity to jam the Atlesian databanks with multiple files of useless junk from thousands of those that accessed the web. She used this flood as a cover while she passed through the security of the database. The blond piqued her interest in ways that she could not comprehend. It was a human emotion that she felt: curiosity. With that simple emotion, she delved deeper and deeper, and barged through the insurmountable firewalls of security to find out what was so terrible about the name.

Her search led her to an origin point. A name. She looked into the expansive file that branched out to many other topics relevant to this one thing like a tree branching out from its roots.

 ** _Giotto Fiamma (Fiamma Primo)_**

 ** _Male, Lion Faunus, Head of the White Fang, a vigilante force comprised of many Faunus and few humans willing to aid in the cause of coexistence._**

 ** _-Responsible for the reveal of unveiling the corruptive forces of Mantle's governing body after the Great War through public humiliation, informal trial, and eventual immolation for the crimes committed to the kingdom. Compassionate and righteous to the innocent, and aided by powerful Guardians with flames just as terrifying as his own._**

 ** _-Such action incited the Mantle Anarchy Period due to the lack of a governing body, and a chauvinistic Human population that devised illogical reasons to forcefully exile Giotto Fiamma and his followers to Mistral. After the tenth day, he accepted exile from kingdom; however, he wasn't alone. His Guardians and followers left with him._**

 ** _-Later changed his vigilante force into a calm revolutionary group, which increased the numbers within the organization to further progress interracial coexistence. Conservatives in the Atlesian council mutated the history of the Mantle Anarchy Period to pose the White Fang as the perpetrators of the event; eventually led to the aggression of the organization._**

She scanned further and further into the family's past and legacy with information that led up to one thing: "Naruto Fiamma" was an unknown -even in Atlas' databases. "Recording battle data…" Her eyes focused on the blond, who stopped to talk to the criminal, Roman Torchwick.

"Why the hell are you doing this?" She heard him ask the criminal.

"Cliché as it sounds…it's information for me to know, and for you to beat it out of me." She watched Roman aimed his cane at Naruto, then fired.

Naruto ducked under the shot, and dashed in. He weaved around shots with marginal movements enough to make the shots barely miss. The young man moved expertly as if his inexperience months ago never existed. Penny compared the earliest video of Naruto's combat prowess to what she saw now. His movements were more refined than ever. Its as if his feet glided on the surface of the ground while his body moved seamlessly around the many shots fired at him.

"I don't have time for your games, Roman!" Naruto shouted as he got close enough to punch Roman. He launched his fist, but was easily batted away for a marginal miss. "Answer me! Why resort to this brand of thievery?!"

"I don't see how you can live the life of a Robin Hood for years, Little Cub!" Roman said in frustration. "That life got boring real quick!" He said to the blond who kept his rapid punches on target. Roman, for all his skill, managed to parry all the punches out of the way.

Naruto grabbed Roman's cane, and pulled him into an elbow strike. "That doesn't say much of what I asked!" Roman caught the elbow. "Why are you doing this?!" He demanded to know. "What do you have to gain, Roman?! Tell me the truth! What is so important that you'll resort to this life?!" He took a step forward, and forcefully kept himself close enough for conversation. "You were never like this years ago! What made you turn?!"

"So many questions, Little Cub." Roman spun himself and managed to hook his cane right on Naruto's neck. He pulled Naruto on his back, and slammed him into the ground. Roman detached the hook of his cane to the shaft. The wire that connected the two parts allowed Roman to chuck the young Faunus towards a wall. "But this isn't your problem!"

Naruto flipped several times, but managed to recover in time through the use of his Aura's ability to propel him. His hands and feet ignited like thrusters that halted his collision. The flames that illuminated his back coated the rest of his front in shadow. Only his eyes and crown glowed as bright.

Penny compared that look to a previous documentation of Giotto Fiamma during the time of the Great War. They were nearly alike in pose and atmosphere. Both carried the atmosphere of impending doom, a man made apocalypse if one were to think of it to the extreme. Penny knew that while Naruto unlocked the full force of his Aura, it was not used to its full _potential_. The previous feats recorded in the Atlas databases proved it. The explosive power of Cielo Fiamma was more than a little display of fireworks that Naruto showcased.

Naruto continued to float with the aid of his Aura. "Like hell it doesn't concern me!" He shouted at the thief. "I may have only recently found about my heritage, but even so I know for a fact that the White Fang shouldn't be doing this!" He stopped floating and landed on the ground. "I may have no personal ties to that group, but I'll at least admit that what my family did for them was right! They spat on what my father did, and ruined the name of the Fang!" He walked towards Roman while his flames undulated under the will of his emotions. "Even worse, you, the one I considered my slippery big brother in all but blood, abandoned your 'family' for _this_ life…" His body trembled in anger. His crown of flames grew in size and intensity. "That's two fronts that I have to deal with!"

Roman clearly didn't react. "Hoh…I'm flattered you think of me as family." He crossed his arms. "Don't tell me…you think everyone in the orphanage is family too?"

"Everyone _is_ family in the orphanage, Roman!" Naruto barked at him. "Granny Lupa taught you that much, I'm sure of it!"

The name made Roman scowl. "And? Tell me something, Naruto. Has she _ever_ mentioned my name after I left the orphanage?" Silence. "No? Well _there_ _'_ _s_ your answer. I may have done some wrongs, but that didn't warrant getting kicked out of that house!" He snarled. He stopped to regain his composure. "But I realized I could live better now that I was out of there." He twirled around on one foot. "I'm free!" He cheered as he stood straight and stared at Naruto with infuriated eyes. "That old hag isn't here now is she? She can't discipline me. She can't ridicule me. She can't _bitch_ at me for all the things I did. I can lie, cheat, steal, and survive forever because _that_ _'_ _s_ what I do _best._ " He held onto his cane with both hands with tight grips. Under the rage, he bent his weapon slightly before it returned to its shape. "I much rather love this life than living in the same roof as her!"

Naruto stepped back at the ferocity of Roman's opinion of their guardian. He didn't know that Roman thought that badly of her. But something was strange about the way Roman said those things. He had to stop and think about it to the point that everyone watched him freeze up in thought. The response felt…orchestrated to Naruto. He didn't know where he got the basis for it, but he refused to believe it. "Y-You're lying." He had to say his gut feeling then and there. "You're lying, Roman!"

"And what makes you think that?" Roman asked. "I wasn't exactly the model child back in the orphanage. Hell, I've lived as a thief for all my life until Lupa took me in. You just never saw me for what I originally was." He thumped his chest a few times. "Turns out you can't change what's in the soul, Little Cub! You die as you lived your life. Loners will die as loners. Rich bastards die with their greed." He pointed at Ruby. "Goody two shoes Red over there behind me will die a hero just as _every_ Huntsman and Huntress that ever lived did. I guess you could say it's karma."

"And I'm saying that you're lying!" Naruto insisted stubbornly. He didn't know why he kept this charade. Something in him just…wanted to make Roman see reason.

"What do you want with me?!" Roman demanded to know. "You stupid kid, if you want to beat the crap out of me, then do it! Just what do you take me for? A sentimental fool?!" He aimed his cane at the young man. "Who the hell are you to tell me whether I'm lying or not?"

The blond's vision changed for one moment. Instead of Roman, he saw that black-haired boy in blue. Phantom pains of betrayal, abandonment, even despair struck Naruto's soul. The shipyard wasn't what it was. Instead, a waterfall took its place. It felt familiar. Eerily familiar.

But that image quickly went away like dust in the wind.

"I've had enough of you and everyone else in that orphanage. Time to cut away my ties with you all once and for all -starting with you!" Roman fired at Naruto once more. The bullet flew straight at the blond without any deviation to its course.

Naruto ran towards it without any hesitation. He let his hands go behind him like cloth in the wind. His open palms channeled Aura and condensed them into a familiar construct. His elbow thrusters launched him forward like a bullet that missed Roman's own shot by centimeters. His straightforward attack allowed Roman the time to duck the moment he straightened his arms to hit the criminal.

Roman's cane hooked on Naruto's collar, which sent the blond face first into the ground. "Pathetic." The man muttered. "For all that flashy movements you did, you're still simple and reckless." He raised a leg perfectly straight and pointed to the sky. "Time to take a nap, kid." The foot came down like a hammer, but the young man flew back.

Naruto skidded back on all fours. His bright and molten marks streaked across the ground. The lion snarled at the criminal. No more words. Only fists and kicks and other big hits. His palms erupted with his Aura. The ground around them melted into a bright orange as the heat expanded deeper into the earth. The ground could not maintain its form, and caved in. His arms sank down in the molten material he made with own Aura.

For a moment, Naruto thought he saw blue, jagged, and random arcs of electricity rather than his own fire. The sight just reminded Naruto again of that black haired boy in blue. It frustrated him a little. Just who was this boy that invaded his head? He never saw him before. His confusion allowed his Aura became uncontrollable for that moment. Like twin torches in his palms, the flames continued to melt more and more. His arms were elbow deep now. The flames crackled like a thousand chitters. A sound that somewhat struck a chord.

He moved his arms off to his side. His hands carved the grounds as they moved to their spots. The lion stared at Roman with his burning eyes. In a flash, he scorched the ground as he charged like a bullet.

Everyone who watched the sight were startled by the boost in speed. While not as fast as what looked to be teleportation, Naruto's form blitzed Roman like lightning. His left arm was cocked first while the other clawed the ground. Yet they saw Roman without so much as a care for the ferocious attack. He stepped forward, and swung his cane to parry the attack.

And yet the man did manage to do just that. Naruto's hand struck the ground to Roman's right with the explosive force equal the size of a shipping container. The other arm swung down from above. Roman blocked it with his free hand, just short of being burned by the intense heat Naruto's weapon emitted. The right arm swung underneath to move Roman's defensive arm out of the way. As soon as that happened, Naruto shot his fist right at Roman's face. He went into a stance after he landed his punch.

Naruto felt like he recognized this pose, but he didn't know where he ever saw it, nor did he ever know when he mimicked it. The back of his right hand faced his opponent while his other was behind his back. His legs were bent, and overall stance low to the ground. His right foot became an inferno that arced to the thief's left side of the head. Roman flipped to his right. Naruto maintained the momentum and dragged his foot on the surface to recapture and juggle Roman's body for the next motion.

The image of Lee and Gaara in battle came up in Naruto's head. It definitely felt familiar. But he never saw Lee fight before. Yet his mind showed Lee doing a peculiar move, one that Naruto's body felt natural at being able to perform.

At Naruto's last rotation, his right leg carved the ground as it rose to catch Roman's chin. The sheer force of the upwards kick sent the man flying into the night sky. Naruto stood up with his back facing the still airborne thief. His palms ignited instantly. He lifted off from the ground not even a second later. The blond flew right behind Roman and constricted him with only the crushing force of his embraced arms. Gravity took its toll on them. The two fell backwards, and stayed in the descent headfirst. Naruto used his Aura to spin him and Roman as they fell.

"A-An Izuna Drop?!" Ruby stammered in disbelief. "You mean he can do ninja moves like Hayabusa?!"

"This isn't the time to be making game references, Ruby." Blake chastised. Ruby looked down a little.

The two combatants collided with the ground. Their impact cratered the area around them. Naruto pushed himself off, and landed a bit outside the manmade crater. He watched the criminal's head stuck underground while the rest of Roman's body stuck out like a wilted plant. "Get up, Roman! I know your Aura hasn't run out yet!"

Roman fell on his front. With his hands on the ground, he pushed himself off the hole he got stuck in. The man coughed a little as he spat out dirt and concrete. He dusted off his hair and coat, dirtied by the impact. "Just got this thing cleaned!" He complained. Roman stood up and grabbed his bowler hat. "I've gotta say, Little cub, you're going places with those fighting skills." He praised the blond. "But-" The space in front of Roman exploded.

Through the fire and flames, Naruto's right gauntlet grabbed Roman's face then smashed it down into the ground. He spun on one foot then used the momentum to stomp on Roman once, twice, three- no an immeasurable number of times. The speed of the stomps blurred away as dust rose from the hammering force. When Naruto was satisfied by that, he grabbed Roman by the collar then lifted the man up off of the ground.

Memories flashed again. Instead of that boy in blue, Naruto saw a woman with eyes of pale lavender -of lilac. Naruto's soul felt warm at the sight of the woman, whose hair of the darkest blue shades and a face reminiscent of a princess, smiled at him.

Naruto's body went on autopilot. Memories that he never saw before flashed. He watched a memory of himself focused on a textbook about the human anatomy and where a person's pressure points were located. He watched the woman dance as she sent several palm strikes at a dummy within six breaths.

" _Just like last time, Naruto. Follow my movements. You may not see it, but you_ _'_ _re getting close to it. I know you can do it!_ _"_

Naruto stepped back and let his left arm lead while his other arm went back. The stance felt odd, yet he felt like he knew it well. He took a deep breath, and whispered, " _J_ _ū_ _ken: Hakke Rokuj_ _ū_ _yon Sh_ _ō_ _._ "

His right leg dragged forward as his body spun. His right and left arms followed quickly. The moment his back did not face Roman anymore, his right hand struck the right clavicle's end closest to the sternum while the other struck the point just underneath the right pectoralis major muscle. ' _Two!_ ' Naruto's left leg took the charge as it dragged the opposite way. He struck two more points on the pectoral muscle on both sides. ' _Four!_ ' He spun around, and the speed of his attacks became faster. He aimed for the upper and outer abdomen points. ' _Eight!_ ' He aimed for the shoulders and hips. ' _Sixteen!_ ' He struck the abdomen. ' _Thirty-two!_ ' At his sixth and final breath for the motions, he aimed for the midline and neck. His final hit landed right at the area where the sternum was located. ' _Sixty-four palms!_ '

By this point, Roman was right above Naruto. The latter's final strike kept him airborne as a setup for the next move.

" _This one should be easy for you to perform. You have a model to copy from._ _"_

Naruto spun himself with all of his strength while he unleashed his Aura chaotically. Instantly, his form disappeared into a dome of flames that ground on Roman's body with rotational force, friction, and burns. He sent Roman flying into a stack of containers the moment the attack ended.

Blake watched with awe. "These moves he's displaying…not once did we ever see him practicing these moves." She stared at the sight of an all-new Naruto. This was not the brute. This was a trickster with no set moveset! ' _Not even his predecessors moved or performed attacks like these! This is beyond the Vertical Time Axis phenomena!_ '

"Maybe he's just that creative?" Ruby suggested. "I mean he did say that whenever he made a new move he 'winged it'.

"No…" Sun injected himself into the conversation. "Those movements were _way_ too refined. Plus, I think he copied one of the Vacuan Councilor's family fighting style."

"You think he copied it?" Blake repeated.

"Yeah. I've been hit by that multi-hit attack before… I think." Sun admitted with some skepticism on his part. "It was a long time ago, but I'm sure those attacks Naruto did aimed for the pressure points. Add in some Aura into those, and you've got holes in your defenses for a short amount of time."

"I take it that was not a pleasant experience." Blake guessed.

Sun shrugged his shoulders. "Meh. Still beat the guy while overpowering him with my clones and offensive pressure. Although, it was a pain to use my Semblance or Aura at all while under the effects of those hits. I nearly fainted from the pain because I brute forced my way through the effects."

"Roman!"

The trio watched Naruto with interest.

Penny continued her observation.

Adam peered and wondered what Naruto would do to Roman.

Qrow kept his live stream for Ozpin to see.

Roman stared at what Naruto became: A demon wrapped in fire. He may have exaggerated it, but in his eyes, Naruto was beyond human or Faunus at that exact point in time. He shook off the pain then groggily stood up. "Well…you beat me." He said. "But you didn't beat it out of me." He chuckled out. "Too bad, kid."

" _Too bad, Kid._ _"_ _Roman sneered._ _"_ _You almost got that nice lady_ _'_ _s purse back for her. So much for your Robin Hood days, eh?_ _"_

" _Oh_ _…_ _shut up, Roman._ _"_ _Naruto grumbled as he rubbed his sore left cheek._

" _Well_ _…_ _you tried. It_ _'_ _s what matters._ _"_ _He patted Naruto_ _'_ _s head._ _"_ _I_ _'_ _m happy you_ _'_ _re using stealing as a way to make good instead of bad. Just don_ _'_ _t tell Granny Lupa I taught you eh? She_ _'_ _ll punish me again if she heard about me teaching you how to steal back things from assholes. But~ if she finds out-_ _"_ _He shrugged his shoulders,_ _"_ _-it_ _'_ _ll take a lot to beat out the truth from me._ _"_

Naruto's flames peaked. An inferno was around him. "You're coming back, Roman." He said calmly. His vision turned red for one moment. A feral urge filled his head with rage. His soul ached.

" _I_ _'_ _ll break every bone in your body if that_ _'_ _s what it takes to stop you! You_ _'_ _re not going anywhere!_ "

"You're going to pay for your crimes. You're going to tell me why you're doing this! And-"

"Enough with the talking, brat!" Roman shouted back to interrupt the young man's speech. He pointed at Naruto with angrily. "You're not gonna get a single thing out of me!"

Naruto clenched his fists tightly. "Then I'll just have to keep beating it out of you!" He dashed in with a punch. The moment his fist connected with Roman's face was the moment everything in Naruto's peripheral vision shattered like glass. ' _Neo?!_ ' He asked himself as he saw the Semblance broke from his punch, which obviously whiffed. Naruto stumbled a little because of the force he built into the punch. It took him a second to get his bearings and search for Roman. "Where are those two?"

A Bullhead appeared from nowhere and retreated to the southeast. Naruto chose to go after it. He easily flew into the sky, but was shot down by the shockwave of an explosion caused by a rocket that exploded a shipping container full of Dust. The knockback and the duration of Naruto's stunned state allowed the Bullhead to retreat into the night. The blond heard gunfire rang out for a few moments before it stopped.

"The last of the White Fang are knocked out!" Ruby announced happily.

"We hardly did anything though." Sun said as he twirled around his staff. "Out thunder was stolen."

Blake frowned at Sun. "Put that machismo away for a second, Sun. If our thunder wasn't 'stolen,' we would have been dead."

Sun looked at her with a bland expression. "It's all sunshine and rainbows with you, isn't it?" He looked at Naruto, who had yet to stand up from his laid position on the ground. "Same can be said for him, eh?"

' _Even Neo?_ ' He hardly believed it. ' _Just what are you hiding, Roman?_ ' Naruto sat up and calmed down. His eyes reverted to its natural sky blue color. The fire made by his Aura disappeared from the battle as if they weren't there to begin with. His crown of flames of flickered away the same way the fire on his arms and feet vanished. The ends of his sleeves and pant legs were singed by the heat. He balled his hands into fists, and punched the ground out of frustration.

His pair of butterfly knives were presented in front of him. "Here ya go." Ruby said. "Your dropped them in the middle of your heroic moment. " Naruto grabbed the knives wordlessly. He watched Ruby grin from ear to ear as she proceeded to make a few childish poses. "You were really awesome when you pulled out those fancy new moves too! You were all 'Wacha! Hiyaa! Oraoraoraoraora!" He gave Ruby a weak smile and a soft chuckle.

"She's right you know." Blake added. "I've never seen such an evolution of fighting technique. It's like you lived a previous life, and used the knowledge to fight the way you did."

"You may have stolen our thunder, but you were totally crazy what you did there, man." Sun supplied his thoughts into the conversation. Blake glared at the Monkey Faunus. The young man scratched his head sheepishly. "And thanks for the save."

"Thanks for keeping Blake company um..."

Sun offered his hand. "Sun."

"Thanks, Sun." Naruto said as he grabbed the offered hand. Sun pulled Naruto up, and the two gave each other a small handshake after that.

"Yeah, I'd like to say thanks to you too, Sun!" Ruby said to the Monkey Faunus. "As team leader, I appreciate you for helping out a stranger."

"No problem. Glad I could help."

The sirens of police, fire department, and ambulances rang out in the distance. Soon, the police arrived with their first order being to put everyone's hands up. The four teens did without any resistance. It was already troublesome enough to deal with the White Fang and Roman Torchwick; they didn't need to get on the law's bad side.

"About time they got here." Naruto grumbled while he willingly raised his hands to follow the policemen's orders. "That's the latest they've ever come to respond to a disturbance."

Sun snorted. "Disturbance is an understatement." He said to Naruto. "It's about as subtle as the sun exploding."

"I'm sure Beacon could feel the explosions you made, Naruto." Ruby added on. "The sound itself probably reached at least the Forever Fall forest or the coast of Vacuo."

"I wouldn't exaggerate that far with the second one, Ruby." Blake corrected her team leader. "But I will admit the explosions you made were quite formidable in force and sound. You do realize the windows in the warehouses just behind us are broken, right? Even your punches seemed to shake the ground."

"You go to Beacon too, Naruto?" Sun asked.

"As a Janitor." Naruto replied blandly.

The Monkey Faunus eyed him skeptically. "...You've gotta be kidding me."

"Nope!" Ruby said. Sun turned to her. "Have you seen the ' _Janitor Kicks Beacon Freshman Team's Ass?_ '"

Sun shot his gaze back to Naruto. " _That_ was you?!"

"Yeeeep."

"Dude! How are you not a-"

"I don't have the money to go to Beacon as a Student. Didn't plan on being a Huntsman either until I paid a debt. Plus, I actually sucked at the start." Naruto listed off his reasons monotonously. After being teased by the idea of becoming a Huntsman several times by Yang, he made a go-to response to people that questioned why he wasn't a Huntsman. He ignored the stares of the two females beside him. He also ignored Sun's flabbergasted look. He instead focused on the crowd that formed behind the barricade of police cars stationed just outside the shipyard. Among the people in the crowd...

"Blake! Ruby! Naruto!" Yang hollered out. "Are you guys okay?!" She shouted the question.

"Yang! Stop bringing attention to us!" Weiss chastised her teammate.

A pair of policemen interrogated both Yang and Weiss on whether or not they knew the people whose hands were raised. After a few more minutes, Yang and Weiss were allowed to meet with the others.

From their expressions alone, Naruto could see that the two weren't very happy at the sight. He subtly looked around him. ' _Ruined shipyard, fires, and tons of Schnee and other corporation or company property damages...yup. My paycheck is royally screwed. Then my ears are going to bleed from the yelling. I can already hear it now._ '

"Look at this place! You ruined it! Even the clothes I bought for you are scratched up and burnt at the cuffs!"

' _Yep._ '

"Weiss, calm down." Yang said.

"But can't you see what-"

"In our defense, the White Fang and Roman Torchwick refused to stand down." Ruby explained meekly. "Roman even tried to kill Sun and Blake by crushing them with a falling shipping container. They really didn't want to stop."

"Wait. Where does Naruto fit in all this?" Yang asked.

"...You have to ask, Yang?" Blake blankly questioned her partner. She crossed her arms in disappointment. "Did you _really_ have to ask?"

Yang took a second to admire the destruction then said, "Oh. Naruto saved you and and Sun over there from that falling shipping container then started to clean house. Is that it?"

Ruby jumped into the conversation. "You don't even know half of it, Yang! Naruto fully awakened his Aura. And then he-"

"Can we _not_ talk about what I did?" Naruto asked. Everyone looked at him strangely. "I mean think for a second. We wouldn't be here unless Blake ran away." He pointed to Yang, Weiss, and Ruby. "So shouldn't you three focus on her?" He jabbed a thumb at Blake. "I did what I needed to do, now you two go somewhere else to have your team conversation."

Yang looked worried. The way Naruto delivered his sentence was a bit snappier than before. She guessed something big happened again. "Is something bothering you again, Naruto?" The rest of team RWBY looked at Naruto, who stared back blankly.

"I'm fine, Yang." Naruto feigned his reassuring tone. He shooed the four Huntresses-in-training with his right hand. "Go on. Go and have your team bonding talk. I'll be over here with Sun just waiting." The four girls reluctantly walked away to a more private area of the shipyard to talk. Once far enough, Naruto sighed deeply.

The night was over. He could have time to think thinks through. He could-

"Yeah! Team RWBY is back together!"

Naruto cleared his thoughts. It was better for him to focus on the victory for now. He could worry about the other things on his own time. Still, the recent events left an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. ' _This is becoming such a headache._ ' He thought to himself.

* * *

Glynda looked at the end of the live feed, and sobbed. Her son was physically well after the battle. That was enough for her. She had to thank Ozpin for showing her this. She clearly saw Naruto as a young man with his own will. She wasn't needed. That much, she understood and admitted to herself. She had no role left as a true mother.

All she could ever hope to do was be there for him when he needs it most.

* * *

Penny, back in Atlas, was in a small interrogation room with General Ironwood. The walls were blank and white. The one way mirror behind the tall Atlesian military leader showed no flaws on its surface. Penny looked through, and watched her father look at her with disappointment. The sight alone caused the android to feel guilty.

"Penny. Tell me why you ignored information safety protocols established on top secret files?" The General asked. "Why disobey such a blatant warning?"

Rather than say it, Penny grabbed her Scroll from her backpack, and downloaded her recording of the fight. She let the video speak for itself, and the General was quite enthralled by the sight. She wondered what he thought, but her hypothesis was that the General liked -interested- in Naruto's outstanding combat prowess. The General promptly sat down after the recording finished.

"So there is a Fiamma left in this world. I must say I'm surprised. I never thought there was an heir." He muttered while he inspected Penny's anxious expression. "Thank you for not hiding this from me. This is information I never thought I would ever hear." The man stood up. "I understand why you did it, Penny. I'll commend you for seeking out information on your own by taking independent action." Penny's face showed elation. "However, disobeying established protocols is not supposed to go unpunished." The android lowered her head. "Therefore, your consequence shall be to alienate yourself from those you've come into contact with in Vale. Permanently."

"Understood, General Ironwood." Penny replied monotonously.

* * *

"What do you think?" Qrow asked his colleagues as he showed the video to them. They were quite impressed.

"He's a fearsome combatant." Tsunade said. "Whoever he chose as his Sun Guardian must be just as terrifying in potential." She pulled off her ring, and handed it to Qrow.

"I don't care who he chose as his Lightning Guardian, but I hope he or she values Naruto's life as much as I did my teacher." He too pulled off his ring and gave it to Qrow.

Qrow looked at his own ring. "I wonder what poor lone wolf got dragged in for the ride."

* * *

Adam looked at the piece of paper in front of him. With pen in hand, he began to write down the necessary information on the paper.

"A groundskeeper?" Lupa asked. "Going to use your sword as a glorified lawn mower and bush trimmer?"

"My time is better wasted helping out the Fiamma by keeping him in my sights. I'll take up the offer, Lupa. I'll take a job at Beacon!"

* * *

"Welcome to Fanning the Flames Ironworks!" A young man with black hair spiked at the back greeted from way behind the counter. "I'm busy over here for a bit, so if you could come closer, I'll listen to whatever you need!"

"Good afternoon, Smithy Sauce!" Ruby greeted.

The male teen groaned. "Ruby, I told you not to call me that."

"But it's fun!" Ruby whined. "Anyways, I need help on a weapon set."

"A set?" He repeated.

"Yeah!" Ruby confirmed. "Design, features, and materials, the whole thing!"

"What for?" He asked. "Wait, aren't you good enough to do this on your own?!"

"I am, but I need a guy's opinion. I plan on giving this to a friend." Ruby replied. "He's on the fast and hard hitting side."

"Friends don't give full sets of weapons." The young smith explained.

"He's also adept with his Aura, so we need materials that help amplify them." Ruby added. Her face lit up with epiphany. "Oh! And also he has a pyrokinetic Semblance! Er-I think? I hope." She made a full rotation. "Hmm...close enough. So we need Burn Dust. Lots of it! For propulsion and all that good stuff!"

"Are you ignoring me?"

"Uhuh!" Ruby answered happily.

"Whose money are you planning on spending your little side project?"

She paused for half a minute. Uneasily, she looked over at the smith. "...Yang's?" Ruby said it as more of a question rather than an answer.

"Deal." The reply was swift and decisive.

"Still hate her for crippling you from the waist down?" Ruby asked while she scratched her head.

"No. But it's still nice to mess with her from time to time." He said with a small smirk.

"What happened to the cool, dark, and edgy Sasuke I knew?" Ruby playfully questioned.

"I've learned to live a little, Rubes." Sasuke replied. "Now...what designs were you planning on making?"

 _ **And that's it for now. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. This is officially the end of Volume one. There's nothing much to say here other than I reached a milestone! Everything you see here is what you get. No tricks. Next chapter is all Volume two! Or filler. Or both! Mainly an actual chapter.**_

 _ **I'm not sure.**_

 _ **Anyways, for the people that will question why Naruto's bond with Roman came to be or possibly say that it came way out of nowhere...I will say what Qrow said.**_

 ** _"Naruto's guardians were bartenders, whores, and swindlers. His friends were pickpockets, gamblers, and dumpster divers and so on."_**

 ** _If that doesn't explain it well enough, then I got nothing else. That was my attempt at foreshadowing._**

 ** _So review, follow, favorite, I don't care._**

 ** _This is Azure signing off._**


	26. Interlude: The Hero Long Forgotten

Interlude: The Hero Long Forgotten

A writer opened his book, and read over his work for the fortieth time that day. His children's storybook about an old hero took a bit of work. But then again, he wasn't much of a writer to begin with.

' _Maybe I_ _'_ _ll reword it_ _…_ ' He wondered. ' _This draft it a bit too much. Too much high level vocabulary for a child to read._ ' He read it again just to make sure if his feelings were correct.

 _ **A Sage, a man with incredible control over a monstrous energy and nature as well, passed down his power into two people. These two people were granted power to vanquish and seal a maleficent force. However, when the battle was done, one of them rejected the offer to keep the power. It is said that the hero, Naruto, became immortal because of this. He did not know the implication of such a blessing. He didn**_ _ **'**_ _ **t know he would be the world**_ _ **'**_ _ **s guardian.**_

 _ **His life as a mortal was littered with hardship. A pariah, a damned soul considered the weakest and vile of all souls that were born. An outcast, he fought to be seen -to be acknowledged as a person. He fought for his home, his friends, and won through tenacity. And each success led to acceptance. His title of Hero was built off of his struggles.**_

 _ **But that life he knew would be lost to the sands of time.**_

 _ **Millennia of living, the Hero watched as his home fell to ruin, rise into a new civilization, fall, rise, and fall numerous times. Each time, the previous civilization became a mere layer of foundation to rebuild a new society. Another archaeological find to people that wished to find about the past.**_

 _ **Not once did he interfere. It wasn**_ _ **'**_ _ **t his place to do so. Even as many people seeked his power, he refused to give them what they wanted. His power wasn**_ _ **'**_ _ **t meant for the destruction of humanity. Eventually, he disappeared from those who desired to use him.**_

 _ **He hid himself from the world, but kept a watchful eye on his home. The mountains he remembered were covered by skyscrapers and assortments of buildings. The Village he used to know became hillside farmland and a large lake. So much changed. The life he knew was gone. The only ones that lived in his time were majestic and titanic beasts, scattered throughout the world to live a life of solitude and freedom in the condition that each nine beasts did not disturb the humans. In a way, he was still alone. Still waiting for the moment his role as a guardian would bear fruit while the world around him forgot the ways of old -the way to unite the soul with the power of the physical body to manifest the versatile, internal energy, Chakra.**_

 _ **It is said that Man disappeared from the planet. The Hero could not stop it; it was an instantaneous end. The world died twenty times over. Weapons of mass destruction scarred the land. The Hero didn**_ _ **'**_ _ **t expect such a self-destructive act. He thought they were more rational than that. During his confusion, he did understand one thing: he realized he was alone -the last of his kind.**_

 _ **It took eons for the planet to heal. When the air settled, he remade Man anew from the dust. Man was just as resourceful as before. However, they were not as advanced. He watched over them closely as they slowly grew to be more intelligent.**_

 _ **One day, the moon shattered, and the Grimm came about. First, it corrupted the nine beasts the roamed the world. Shukaku made persistent sandstorms. Matatabi scorched the cities. Isobu drowned shorelines and beyond. Son Goku reignited dormant volcanoes, and remade the land. Kokuo stomped mountains flat. Saiken poisoned the swamps and nearby forests. Chomei ruled the skies by blasting air with great flaps of its wings. Gyuki trampled on anything in its path. And finally, the Hero**_ _ **'**_ _ **s partner, Kurama, blasted anything into dust.**_

 _ **The Hero fought them all, but with difficulty. His remaining friends were now monsters driven mad by the entity in the moon. He fought them one by one without the aim of destroying them. He refused the easy way. He wanted to save them. But try as he might, he could not purify his friends. Instead, he sealed Shukaku in the desert it made. He sealed Matatabi into an inextinguishable pyre deep in a canyon. Isobu was trapped deep in the ocean. Son Goku was chained in a volcano. Kokuo became one with the mountains. Saiken was tranquilized into a pool of poison in a cavern never to be found. Chomei lost its wings, and sealed behind a massive waterfall. Gyuki**_ _ **'**_ _ **s tails were pinned down on a snow-capped mountain as it was chained down at its base. And Kurama was buried in a plain surrounded by unexplored forests.**_

 _ **The Hero, finally alone, was lost to the times. His first act of protecting the world came at the cost of his friends. And all that time he fought, the black creatures, the Grimm, came like a flood. His second act was to purge the creatures spawned. It is said that centuries were wasted with no sign of progress. No matter how many mountains he leveled, how many forests he cleaved, how many oceans he split, how many storms he quelled, the Grimm that occupied these and many more locations refused to disappear.**_

 _ **Then one day, the Hero disappeared once more. However, he did not return. In his place, Man found new hope.**_

 _ **Dust.**_

' _Yeah_ _…_ _A bit much._ ' He admitted as he scratched his head. ' _I'll need to rewrite all of this. Again._ ' He dreaded the thought.

"Father." A young man's voice interrupted the writer. "I need your help."

The book was promptly closed shut. The writer turned his head to face his son. "What can I do for you, Kaze? Something wrong?"

"A new Maiden." He explained somberly while he stepped to the side to show a little girl with snow white hair seemingly attached to his son's leg.

The writer turned his chair around to face the tiny newcomer. "Hello." He greeted simply. "My name is Inja. What's your name?"

"…Kōri, Mister Inja." The girl meekly replied.

"Nice to meet you, Kōri." He said before he flashed a small smile. "Do you know why you're here?"

"I…can't control my…powers." She answered.

"That so?" He poised himself in a thinking pose on his seat. "Do you want help from an old man like me?" He asked.

"You're not _that_ old, Mister." The girl corrected him.

"Oh, but I am." The man insisted. "I'm thousands of years old. I've seen how this mountain was made; I'm older than it!" He said bombastically and extravagantly. "Why, I even know how the moon shattered!"

The little girl became more courageous. She released her grip on Kaze's leg. "You're lying! You can't be that old!" The little girl continued to deny the claim while the man appeared genuinely amused by it. She kept denying for a few more minutes until the man grabbed his book from his desk. The little girl watched closely.

"See this book here? It's about a very old hero. Older than me." He clarified. "Do you want to hear his story?"

She looked down on her hands. "But what about my…powers?" She asked.

The man dismissed it. "You haven't gotten out of control in front of me, right?" He stated calmly. "I say you're fine for the most part. But, if you're still unsure…" He trailed off to reword his sentence. "If you can stay that way until I finish the hero's story, I'll teach you how to control it, okay?"

The little girl accepted the idea if only to know how to control her strange ability, which felt more flexible than any Semblance. She didn't care about the story, but something told her that this man knew a lot more than normal. She may not believe that he lived for thousands of years, but she could tell that this man had some stories to tell.

He opened his book, and used what he wrote as a template for a new way to tell the story. "So…there once was a hero with a heart of gold…" While he recited the story, in his head, he idly thought back to four simple souls. ' _Haru, Natsu, Aki, Fuyu. Watch over this child and those who would be the Maiden-to-be, the wielders of the remainder of my power, for the years to come._ '


	27. A Simple Routine

_**Time for Volume two. Let**_ _ **'**_ _ **s get this started!**_

Disclaimer: First chapter

Chapter 24: A Simple Routine

Blake and Ruby stood by the balcony that faced the Emerald Forest. The former stood stiff as a board as she delivered her final sentence regarding her situation as well as her lord's own. "Do you understand what I just revealed to you?"

Ruby nodded slowly. "…Yeah. For the most part." A pause. "But I don't think you are dangerous at all. He isn't a threat either. You're both my friends. You're not my enemies." She faced Blake, and said, "Trust me when I say I won't turn you over to the police or the Atlesian army!"

Blake sighed lightly. "You trust people too much."

"It's better to see the good in people." Ruby puffed her cheeks.

"It's not the case all the time." Blake said. "There _are_ people that will use that mindset of yours to take advantage of you."

"I know, but would you prefer I take things too seriously and act too cautious like you do?"

"…No. You wouldn't be my optimistic and fearless leader then, Ruby."

The young leader tilted her head off to the side. "What about Naruto?" Ruby asked. "Isn't he your leader too?"

Blake turned and headed towards her team's dorm room. "He's not one yet is he? Until the time comes, you are my leader. And I'll follow your orders. I won't run away. Never again. I'll stick by our team through thick and thin. I promise." She continued to walk away.

Ruby let Blake's words sink in before she whispered. "I believe you, Blake. But you have to think about Naruto too." Ruby said softly. "Naruto will need people to help him lead." She heard Blake halt her steps. "He's been given a responsibility he isn't ready for." She closed her eyes, and stared at the night sky's abyssal beauty decorated with sparkling stars. "Even if he's accepted it, I still think there's some part of him that is scared about all this. I sure was terrified about the idea of being a leader for my own team." She turned back to Blake, whose back still faced Ruby. "First an orphan janitor…now a leader of a misguided group. There's gotta be some anxiety in there."

"And? Is there a point to what you're saying, Ruby?" Blake asked as if she searched for an appropriate answer from her leader.

"I want to help Naruto even if all I can do is give him is a little bit of help."

Blake let silence ruled over the space for a moment. She nodded due to the satisfactory response. She walked away while she said, "Thank you for caring, Ruby."

"No problem."

"Oh. And a favor, Ruby?"

"Yes?"

"Don't tell Weiss or Yang who Naruto is." Blake requested.

"...Isn't that hiding things from them again?"

"But Naruto is not part of our team." Blake reasoned.

"But he's still a close friend, and is...White Fang. They need to know. Yang especially." Ruby whispered. "What you're doing is no different from when you hid your identity!"

Blake stepped back. The statement struck right at the heart. The Faunus cringed. "That may be so." Blake admitted. "But can you tell Yang the truth?" Her voice was sharp and clear. "Can you, with a straight face, tell Yang that the one she's interested in is the next rightful leader of the White Fang? Do you expect everything to be okay after you blurt it out?" Her golden orbs glared at Ruby's silver pair.

Ruby took a deep breath. "Three months." She said to Blake. "Three months, then I'll say the truth to Weiss and Yang, unless Naruto beats me to the punch. Is that fair?"

"...I would prefer you didn't tell them at all, but yes...it's fair." Blake answered reluctantly.

* * *

"Close-ranged fighter?"

"Yup."

"So…portable and compact combat boots capable of channeling his Aura through?" Sasuke guessed. "Doubles for hovering/skating over the surface type of mobility too?"

A shrug came from Ruby. "At it's basic form, it's what I had in mind among other things."

The smith crossed his arms. "What other _things_?"

"…Full armor?" Ruby answered shyly. A deep sigh and head tilt to the ceiling alerted Ruby that her idea sucked. Well…not totally stupid, but highly illogical and out of date in this era. Ruby deflated. "Aside from that…a set of combat knives or short swords for combat versatility. And…Dust grenade holsters, throwing knives, a sawed-off shotgun, a pair of headphones and contacts to go with it, arm blades-"

"Wait! What was that last one?!"

"A jetpack? No he flies on his own. Hm…maybe-"

"Don't ignore me, Ruby!"

"An A.I. program? Or! Or! A humanoid mech!"

Sasuke groaned. "I don't have the money, material, or expertise for that, Ruby!"

"You've got Yang's money. Use it." Ruby said simply. "It's not like she'll stop funding for your prototype stuck to your back. It may only work for a few hours of the day, but at least it gets you out of the wheelchair. It _is_ the only way you can walk after all." She pointed at the contraption stuck on Sasuke's back. "It is still working right?"

"It is." He answered, "But the point is the money for that and the money for your project are two different things." He pointed to the metal contraption stuck to his spine, powered by Shock dust. "This thing made it possible to move my legs, but it was your sister's insistence to use her money to allow me to have this tiny saving grace." He crossed his arms as he sat down on his chair behind of the counter. "She didn't _have_ to actually pay for what happened. Everyone knew it was a freak accident that Yang didn't mean to happen. It was nobody's fault, but your sister... She did what she felt like she needed to do to just to get me back on my feet even if it was only for a few hours of the day. It's..." He sighed. The young man palmed his face. "…You're making this really difficult, Ruby."

The young leader looked puzzled. "How so?"

"I take back what I said about you using Yang's money for your project." Sasuke said with conviction. His onyx eyes stared at Ruby's silver. "I have too much respect and gratitude for your sister to use her like this. I may like to mess with her now and then, but this is just unreasonable." He scratched the back of his head. "So you're going to have to use your own money for this project of yours to happen."

"Oh?" Ruby was genuinely surprised by the statements. "Well I'm glad to know your feelings on my big sis, Sasuke." Ruby smiled. "I was actually joking about using Yang's money." She placed her hand on her hips. "Still, I'm quite surprised you hold Yang in high standards." She leaned forward. "You like her or something?"

Sasuke immediately replied with a bland and definitive answer. "Stop that. I don't want to see you get corrupted by Yang's teasing tendencies. I already get enough of that any time she comes here for a resupply or visit." As he said those words, his blank expression slowly diminished into one that resembled a person that fought back a blush.

' _Well_ _…_ _this is a problem._ ' Ruby thought awkwardly at the sight. "Okay." She pulled out a list from her back pouch. "For starters, I'll need things listed off here. You got the designs for them?"

The young man scoffed. "I already did ten blueprints on the day you asked me to make them." He pulled the drawer to his left, and placed the ten large pieces of blueprints on the counter. "Here you go. Just choose, and we're pretty much set except for the materials."

Ruby scanned over each blueprint, and subtly grinned wider and wider with each design.

* * *

It had been a month after the incident with Roman. The semester's end neared, and with it the new cycle of another semester was ready to take its place. Nothing much happened out of the norm. Students either worked hard or slacked off on school work. They also either got pounded into the ground or were victorious in their spars against their peers. Their skills were being polished with each combat encounter. Their minds were sharper -creative. They anticipated moves completely out of line in order to gain the upper hand.

They thought like they were in a life or death fight.

Some students were completely reformed after they witnessed the fight between Naruto and Pyrrha. The more reckless bunch learned caution and preparatory strikes to examine opponents. Tacticians learned the importance of an offensive pressure. In short, many first years learned versatility by expanding their options.

Jaune was the perfect example. His fighting skills rocketed to new heights. Still subpar at swordplay, but his tactics supplemented his flaw.

The young Huntsman-in-training's mobility increased; it wasn't stiff at all. His body went into a free flowing type of movement that utilized each step as a set up for a strike fueled by momentum. The knight ducked under a mighty swing, then sprung forward. Jaune's opponent countered with a hammering fist. He simply blocked with his shield to cover his charge. His sword thrusted at his opponent's chest once, twice, then slashes outwards to finish the approach. He stepped back, and kept his shield in front of him as if he taunted his opponent.

The angered fool built up his next strike, and exposed his chest.

Jaune dashed in with shield first in line. But it was not what was expected. He compressed the shield into its scabbard form then smacked it up to his opponent's chin. The scabbard came down like an axe that threatened to split the bulky student's head. Jaune pulled back his scabbard, and sheathed Cocrea Mors in. Instantly, the sword and the scabbard glowed with his Aura's blinding white color. Jaune roared loudly as he swung his sword upwards with maximum force. Like a ball struck by a baseball bat, Jaune's opponent flew to the other side of the arena. The impact of both the sword strike and the Barrier exhausted the Aura of Jaune's opponent instantaneously.

Jaune returned to his seat next to his close circle of friends. On the way, he ignored the shocked looks his peers gave him. On the outside, he kept his cool. However, on the inside, he jumped for joy. It was one of his biggest accomplishments, and he showed it off at the best moment yet!

"That was amazing, Jaune!" Ruby said excitably. "When did you learn to do that? How did you know to do that? Are there any more features to it? Are there-" Her mouth was closed to prevent further interrogation.

"Easy there, Rubes." Yang said as she pulled back her younger sister. "Your obsession is showing. Why don't you go focus on that project you were making. You got some parts to work with from Sasuke, right? Go work on that." The mere suggestion distracted Ruby enough that she dashed off to the locker room to grab her materials for said project.

"Sasuke?" Blake asked with interest. The name was a stranger. Her curiosity easily showed. Blake saw Weiss scoot a little closer most likely out of curiosity as well. "Who is he? Old friend?"

Ruby came back in with a welding mask strapped to her head and with a board full of materials and welding tools and others stacked on top of it. She sat with her team then fiddled with whatever she had on hand. "Talking about Sasuke?" Her team nodded. "Sasuke is the name of Yang's childhood crush that she crippled in that haunted house accident. I told you about this earlier in the last semester." She said as she proceeded to weld two pieces of metal near people without protection from the intense light. As she welded despite her friends' protests, she said, "Pretty sure it was the day Naruto man-handled Team CRDL and became the infamous "Warrior" Janitor of Beacon. But I'm not too sure."

"Miss Rose! My arena is not the forge! So would you kindly cease your project and continue it at a more appropriate time and place!" The teacher demanded rather than request.

Ruby, absolutely terrified by the tone of the teacher, hid her face with the welding mask she wore. "I'm sorry, Professor! I won't do it again! _Just don_ _'_ _t yell at me anymore!_ " She squeaked out.

"Since you feel as though you have all the time in the world to _forge_ in my class, then I think you have time to spar." Glynda spoke in her usual serious tone. She pointed her riding crop down at the floor. "Miss Rose, you shall spar here with…" The woman looked at her list of students. "Lavendel Svane!"

A tall, blond individual stood up straight and poised like a soldier. "Ma'am! How can I be of service?"

"Hm…Atlesian student. Did you not hear what I said?" Glynda asked in a dangerous tone. "Prepare your gear. You've selected for a spar."

"Y-Yes Ma'am!" The student darted to the locker room.

Moments later the two would-be combatants met face to face at the arena. Ruby looked stunned for three reasons. One, her opponent was tall. Taller than six feet for sure. Two, she couldn't tell whether or not her opponent was a guy or girl. Her blond opponent's face was quite feminine, yet still androgynous to some extent. The short haircut didn't help things in figuring out the person's gender. Voice didn't help either because the vocal range felt in-between male or female. Third and last, her opponent's weapon…

A flight suit. A lavender/purple flight suit. Two shield-like objects fitted with thrusters were positioned at the back of the waist. Attached to the sides that faced away from the midline were variable-geometry wings, or wings that swung out. On the opponent's forearms were a pair of arm cannons no larger than a water bottle. The greaves he…she…the individual wore also had propulsion systems just behind it. Over the shoulders were vents. Ruby assumed it was for high-speed flight if her opponent was capable of such a thing.

Still, the point remained that Ruby was stunned. Until a whole two seconds later that is. "I-Is that high-density Alto alloy for armor?!" She asked. "Oh my gosh that's so amazing! Lightweight and defensive. It's perfect for your equipment!" She dashed right in front of her opponent. "Looks a bit bulky that it could slightly hinder flight. Is there a purge system for your armor? What about close-range weapons?!" She looked left and right, and realized that the edge of the wings were quite sharp. "Oh." She smiled. "You're a flying hit and run armory!"

"That's a rather accurate guess, I suppose. I'm quite amazed." The opponent said as a reply to Ruby's rapid comments. He…she…it smiled at Ruby innocently. "I'm quite honored to have an opponent that can understand my weapon…s." The lavender opponent offered a hand that Ruby shook without hesitation. "It's a little troublesome to fight a fellow student, but a spar is a spar." The Atlesian student smiled. "I hope for a wonderful battle, Miss Rose.

"Me too, flight suit person!"

"Lavendel, Miss Rose." The student corrected.

"Oh! Right…I'm sorry." Ruby blushed at her mistake.

Yang palmed her face. "Never change, Rubes."

Blake looked amused. "It still surprises me how much your sister knows about weaponry to the point she can dismantle key functions by looking at it."

Weiss sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "If she could control that part of herself…"

"Miss Rose." Glynda called. "Take a step back to your side of the arena please."

Ruby stiffened under the realization of what she did, then sprinted back to her designated area.

"You may begin."

The team and JNPR cheered for the young leader; however, their cheers were drowned out by the roar of engines.

Lavendel rocketed and reached the ceiling in less than a second.

Ruby was shocked by the acceleration. It was close to Naruto's flying speed, but still subpar to her friend's own. The scythe wielder heard two gunshots up above. She jumped back. Two explosions rocked the floor. The roar of engines became louder. Ruby dashed forward, and marginally evaded two razor-sharp blades that carved two thin trenches on the floor. Ruby turned around, and watched her opponent made a bow with the wings. She watched the archer floated high above the arena floor as something glowed in the middle of the makeshift bow.

' _Aura arrows_ _…_ ' Ruby deconstructed from past experiences with Aura as an offensive tool. She pulled Crescent Rose from the back of her waist, then aimed. Her sights on her opponent, Ruby fired at the same time the archer let lose an Aura arrow that split into multiple homing shots. The arrows were slower than the bullets, but even so, three straightforward shots weren't enough; Ruby's airborne opponent strafed away from the gun's line of fire easily.

The young scythe wielder held her weapon in her arms, and sprinted out of the way of the arrows. She used her speed Semblance to jump out of the way when the closest ones came. "This long-range offensive pressure's got to be shot down!" She said to herself in frustration. "But how?!" Aside from the arrows, the gunshots were no longer mere gunshots. A simple 'bang' wasn't an appropriate sound. The explosions the shots made were equal to the power of cannons. "Oh come on! A Variable-Buster type gun?!" Ruby would have felt more giddy at the sight of such weapons in action, but she preferred that it wasn't _aimed_ at her.

Pyrrha was the first to speak. "At this rate, Crescent Rose is dead weight. Ruby can't possibly shoot in this situation."

"A sniper's worst enemy is constant fire." Ren said to no one in particular. "Ruby needs one moment of peace in order to get some ground in this spar."

Ruby dashed up the wall. ' _I need to get close! At this rate, I_ _'_ _m going to exhaust myself!_ ' The scythe wielder realized an arrow came towards her, then catapulted herself off of the wall. ' _Time to treat this like a real fight!_ ' With determination in her eyes, Ruby spun her body up closer to the ceiling with surprising speed. As she spun, she thought, ' _If I can_ _'_ _t hit you from the ground, I_ _'_ _ll hit you in the air!_ ' A final spin later, she pulled Crescent Rose off her back, and aimed at Lavendel. The shot, difficult to perform because of her spin, managed to graze Lavendel's left shoulder. Ruby fired another shot, but at the ceiling. The recoil sent her down faster than the time it took for gravity to take its hold. The young leader watched as Lavendel took note of the graze more than her scythe.

The scythe swung in a wide arc that Lavendel finally took notice. The Atlesian aerial fighter swiftly moved out of the line of attack. Ruby smiled at the predictable action. She shot her weapon at the ground to stay afloat one moment. At that moment, Ruby smiled.

"Yang? Why is Ruby smiling?" Blake asked.

Yang furrowed her eyebrows. "It means she found a way to catch that person off guard." The elder sister took a pondering pose. "She doesn't have _any_ options in this situation. What surprise is she hiding?"

"Another gun!" Nora shouted. Everyone stared at her. "What? It makes sense. Don't believe me? Bet on it! I bet twenty lien Ruby's got a new gun."

"I'm in! I bet twenty too." Yang declared. "Ruby's too prideful of Crescent Rose. She has something else other than a new weapon."

"Agreed." Both Blake and Weiss said at the same time as they bet the same amounts.

Jaune was more reluctant. "I dunno guys… Ruby did ask us how to improve herself."

Ruby's circle of friends (and sister) heard a definitive bang clearly different from the sound Crescent Rose made. Everyone of them snapped their head back to the fight, and watched a new object in Ruby's right hand. It was a red-tinted custom revolver based on the Model 500. It was bulkier than the frame it was crafted into the shape of a typical rectangular slider over the barrel. The recoil of the shot blew her right arm back, but what mattered was the fact that Ruby landed a shot perfectly straight on the chest. The explosive shot knocked Lavendel down closer to the ground, and took a tenth of the Aura that allowed for defense.

Ruby landed on her feet. She returned Crescent Rose into its storage form, and placed it on her back again. Both hands on the hand cannon, Ruby sprinted towards Lavendel. "Four more shots before reload…" She said as she got closer. "Make em' count, me!"

Lavendel hovered backwards, and shot at Ruby with Aura arrows. One arrow split into twenty wide shots. Another divided, but clustered together.

Ruby evaded the first shots as best as she could. They exploded at close proximity to her. To protect herself from the attacks, she threw her revolver up into the air. The scythe wielder took out Crescent Rose into its scythe form, and spun the weapon as fast as she could to protect herself from the blasts. Her movements took a artistic turn. She seemed to dance as she twirled her reaping weapon. When Ruby blocked the last shot, she seamlessly returned Crescent Rose into its compact form on the back of her waist, and also retrieved her revolver in one swift motion. With no time left to lose, Ruby used her speed Semblance to rocket over to Lavendel in a direct tackle.

The Atlesian student was too slow to react to the charge that the only action left was to block. Like a boxer, the student guarded the sides of the face. Eyes of jade stared at silver before they looked at the sides, where both hands of the opponent were.

"Two new guns?!" Nora looked absolutely giddy. "Give em' pain, Rubes! By the way, girls… I totally won the bet." Yang, Weiss, and Blake forked over the cash begrudgingly.

Ruby pushed herself off of Lavendel, and shot both her revolvers, one blood red and the other midnight black at her opponent. The massive shots echoed loudly, and recoiled violently to the point Ruby followed the path of the guns to not rip her arms off. She flipped backwards once, twice, then aimed to shoot again. The shots sent her down to a skidding stop on the arena floor. These shots missed, and exploded violently.

Lavendel flew down swiftly. Guns forward, the student shot at Ruby with multiple rounds. The pilot watched Ruby rolled out of the line of fire almost immediately. The student stopped as fast as possible to draw pull out the wings as melee weapons. With back turned, Lavendel showed a startling Semblance: a humongous wall of dagger-like feathers. Like a maestro, Lavendel twirled a wing like a baton. Moments later, the wing pointed at Ruby, and chaos unleashed.

Ruby let go of her revolvers for that moment to pull out her main weapon for defense. She twirled the scythe as fast as she could. To the normal eye, Crescent Rose's form was a red and black circle with how fast Ruby spun it around. In her eyes, the world was a mix of red, black, and white. She only had her ears to pinpoint where her opponent was behind the curtain of projectiles. She waited to hear for the sound of jet engines.

That wait didn't last long. Along her frenzied spins of Crescent Rose did Ruby finally make contact with her opponent's weapons. The clashes echoed out at high frequencies without any signs of an end to it. Ruby's intense expression of concentration hadn't wavered throughout the confrontation, and she felt Lavendel's own determination through the opposing clashes. Soon enough, their clashes ended when Ruby swept low with Crescent Rose. She watched Lavendel dodged and flipped backwards to disengage from her range. Ruby dashed forward into a dropkick, where her feet landed on Lavendel's forearms. She pushed off of her opponent, then landed smoothly into a stop. She looked down to see she landed next to her revolvers.

The sound of jet engines alerted Ruby to an incoming attack. Without hesitation, she grabbed the revolvers to risk in close combat. Ruby flicked them downwards. The guns' parts shifted to new places. The barrels and the pseudo sliders rotated down over Ruby's own hands. The cylinders ejected the remaining bullets, and lined them up along the barrels' length. The barrel opened up hotdog style, split at the middle, and revealed the Dust bullets positioned like spiked knuckles. She took a step forward, then spun clockwise into a red storm of roses. ' _Force is mass multiplied by the acceleration. If I don't have the mass, I have more than enough speed to compensate!_ ' Her right foot stopped her from further rotation. With her left arm cocked, Ruby watched her peripheral vision go slow for one moment. ' _Move!_ ' Ruby ordered herself.

 _"Naruto?" Ruby asked._

 _"...What is it, Ruby?" Naruto asked in return. The young man did not face her. "Is there something you want to say? About...my bloodline or something like that?"_

 _Ruby gulped, and took a deep breath. "Yeah! Er-um...Something like that." She said awkwardly. Silence grew in between the two. "I-I mean I want to say that I don't care who you are, Naruto! Human, Faunus, White Fang, or not, you're my friend!"_

 _"...Thank you for those words, Ruby." Naruto answered softly._

 _"No problem! If something bad happens, I promise I'll watch your back for you. I'll be like night, always following after day -always behind watching your back for you." She said confidently. "It's the least I could do to help."_

 _The young man still refused to face Ruby. He crossed his arms, and snorted. "How appropriate..." He muttered._

 _Ruby raised an eyebrow. "What's appropriate?"_

 _"Your team placement." Naruto said. "Yang is the a lot like the Sun. She takes the frontline and brings the heat. You, her sister, are the sniper in the back of the group. You are the Night like you say you are." He paused to turn around. "Always watching your sister's back. Always following after the Sun." He smiled slightly._

 _Ruby rubbed her head sheepishly. "When you put it like that, it does sound like an appropriate description."_

 _Naruto's voice took a serious turn. "Ruby. You said that you'll have my back?"_

 _Ruby nodded. "Yeah. A promise!" She said innocently. She watched Naruto's expression flinch slightly, but paid no mind to it._

 _"Then can I trust you with something?" He asked._

 _"Sure." Ruby said without hesitation. "What do you need, Naruto?"_

Everyone watched the inevitable trade of punches. Yang out of all was the most anxious. She knew what Ruby did was compensation for the lack of weight. She took a quick glance at the board above. The two would end in a draw if the trade landed. The elder sister watched closely as Lavendel's gauntlet closed in on Ruby's face. For a second, Yang thought Lavendel's gauntlet touched Ruby's face, but reality was far more drastic in difference.

Ruby disappeared into a flurry of black petals burned by black flames.

Target gone, the Atlesian student's attack only met air. Lavendel missed.

But Ruby didn't. Her disappearing act lasted not even a full second. In that lapse of time, Ruby wasn't in front of Lavendel, but rather off to Lavendel's left side. Ruby's left fist and weapon struck Lavendel's chin with massive force. Ruby pulled the trigger of her weapon, and let the remaining bullet in the slot explode on her opponent's chin. The recoil shot the young girl's arm to the floor, but it was worth it. The alarm that called the end of the spar blared for all to hear. Lavendel crash landed back first on the floor.

"Lavendel Svane's Aura level has reached the red zone. Therefore, the winner of this spar is Ruby Rose." Glynda announced to the entire first year class in her arena.

Yang cheered as loudly as possible. "WAY TO GO, LIL' SIS! YOU ROCKED IT!"

Ruby lowered her head to hide her embarrassment, then scurried out of the arena floor to escape the limelight. Though not before she helped her opponent up from the floor.

* * *

Weiss lowered her spoon onto the food tray. "I must say, that Atlesian student was quite swift and brutal. If not for Naruto's capabilities, I thought that student's fighting style would be a surprise." She looked at her Scroll that replayed the fight. "To use the thrusters as rocket gauntlets and the ability to fly...the sight is uncanny to say the least."

Blake agreed. "It's quite similar, I admit." She nodded, but the action did not last long. The Cat Faunus' own experience with Naruto's abilities did not change her feeling. "However, don't disregard Ruby's opponent just because we saw someone else with weapons that allowed the same type of mobility with less clunk. That student's fighting style had it's own personal flare. You saw how much synergy those Aura arrows, guns, and Semblance had. If Lavender kept on the long-ranged offense, Ruby could have lost earlier."

"I suppose so." Weiss admitted. "Speaking of Ruby...did you see how her Semblance... _morphed_?" Weiss asked uncertain of how to describe the event.

Blake took a moment to comprehend Weiss's question. When she did, she took a pondering pose. "I don't know. It was too fast for me to actually comprehend what I saw." Blake said honestly. "If you mean the sudden change in position, then I guess her Semblance evolved to such a degree that she can make afterimages. Possibly." The Faunus teammate paused to restate the sentence. "Or...or I don't know."

"...Does this have something to do with Naruto again?" Weiss wondered.

Blake chose to not answer that.

Minutes later, Ruby plopped a heavy binder onto the lunch table. "Sisters, friends,...Weiss."

* * *

Naruto sat at his desk, and inspected the rings given to him by Lupa. They were identical to the one Pyrrha gave over a month ago. The only difference between the three new rings were the color of the gems as well as the design engraved into the crystal. ' _Sun, Lightning, Cloud, and Storm._ ' He thought to himself as his face scrunched up in order to find out who was a possible candidate. Naruto heard the door open, and greeted the person that entered the room, "Afternoon, Adam."

"Afternoon." Adam greeted back. The Faunus Ex-general watched Naruto closely, then asked, "Have you found your Guardians, milord?" Adam asked.

"Apparently, I chose three new Guardians." Naruto explained briefly. The Faunus heir rubbed his temples at the major headache the situation gave him. "But the thing is, I have _no_ idea who I chose to be my Guardians." Yang's face invaded Naruto's head. "I can probably guess one of them, but the rest are cloudy. Granny told me that the older holders of the rings have no idea to tell who I chose as my Guardians at all." He scratched his head furiously. "You'd think they made a system to actually identify them and locate them."

"Obviously they didn't." Adam remarked.

"I can see that." Naruto grumbled. The young man's expression formed into a small scowl. "This sucks."

"At least you found three Guardians, and also found a Guardian for one of the new the new flames." Adam said as he looked for positives. "It's definitely progress." He walked to the window. "Did she get her ring yet?"

"Nope. I don't even know _how_ they're made." Naruto said truthfully.

Adam took a while to respond. "...I'd like to think that they're a piece of concentrated magic, solidified into an object, or in this case, a ring."

"What? Like a fragment?" Naruto asked. Adam nodded. "A fragment of magic...wow. I never thought you'd be into fantasies, Adam."

"It's only a thought." Adam defended his statement. "Though do answer me this question, milord... How is it that a Semblance, a hereditary one at that, can _split_ and remain on another person, a Guardian, permanently even when the one who blessed the Guardian is no longer alive?"

Naruto's mouth slammed shut. He was silenced by the question. He sat there in thought for minutes. Later, he opened his right hand, and played with his Semblance/Aura. The flame easily transitioned from white to red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, and finally black. As he inspected it, Naruto continued his searched for an answer. "I guess...it _is_ unnatural." He admitted, "But I wouldn't consider it magic." He said resolutely. "In my opinion, I don't think something as wishy-washy of an idea as _this_ being _magic_ a proper reason to this power's _uniqueness._ "

"Right. Apologies for the suggestion."

The blond waved his hands as if he swiped something near him. "There's nothing to be sorry for. It's what you think. I'm not going to insult or degrade you for giving your own insight on the matter." Naruto rotated his office chair to face Adam. "So how's the job?" He asked. "Nothing too difficult or ridiculous happen yet?"

"No. None of the sort. It went rather well, and I hope to not run into problems like you did on your _infamous_ second day." Adam answered. He watched Naruto cringed at the memory, and smiled at the reaction. Adam sat on the windowsill with his arms crossed. "Anyways, I finished the front courtyard in record time apparently." He reported casually.

"How quick _did_ you finished the front courtyard?" Naruto leaned forward and asked because he was genuinely curious.

"Less than half an hour."

Naruto leaned back on his chair, and looked at Adam in disbelief. "Wow... That is lightning fast considering the size of the courtyard." The blond looked at the clock. After that, he stood up, and grabbed the rings on his desk. "I take it your superior was satisfied by your work?" Adam gave a smirk. "Good." Naruto unhooked a chain looped into the belt loops on the right side of his pants, and inserted each ring as a piece of aesthetic variety to his attire. Demeaning as it was, no one but him and the knowledgable few the worth of these rings. Everyone else would just consider them as 'bling'. Naruto continued on. "I guess Granny's idea for you to work were wasn't so bad after all."

"Guess so." Adam shrugged his shoulders. He readjusted his sunglasses, and grabbed a book from nowhere. "Now...where was I?"

Naruto stared at the book, then back at Adam. The book. To Adam. This went on for a few more repetitions, then Naruto asked disbelievingly, "Are you reading _Ninjas of Love_?!"

The swordsman calmly looked up to see his lord's flabbergasted expression. "Yes? Is there a problem? This is literature."

"It's not. It's _really_ not." Naruto insisted. "I thought you would have better taste than that, Adam."

Adam violently closed the book that the sound bounced off the walls. "Do you want me to educate you in lore of this masterpiece?!"

"No. And I never want to." Naruto replied flatly. "It's-" Naruto's Scroll blared. Immediately, Naruto's thoughts were derailed in order to look at the alert on his device.

 **Alert Level: CODE RAINBOW**

 **Location: First Year Cafeteria**

Naruto bolted out the room, and screamed, " _ **THERE'S AN ACTUAL CODE FOR MASSIVE MESS?!**_ _ **YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!**_ "

* * *

"What information do you have for me, First Lieutenant Tinsoldat?"

"I think my partner should answer that question, General."

"Very well. Private Svane. What can you tell me regarding your mission?"

Lavendel stepped forward. "There is an individual that seems to fit the mission parameters, General." Lavendel stated. "A Guardian seems to be active in Beacon. However, there is an inconsistency, Sir." Lavendel answered hesitantly. "It does not match according to known information based on the debriefing."

"Inconsistency?" Ironwood asked. "Elaborate."

Lavendel stood ramrod straight. "In our debriefing, you told us there were only seven flames, of which corresponded to the colors of the rainbow." Lavendel started off. Ironwood urged the Private to continue. The Private gulped. "During my encounter with the individual that portrayed features of a Fiamma Guardian, her flames were...black." Lavendel paused for a moment. "It did not correspond with her Semblance seamlessly -almost appearing as an evolution of sorts or an upgrade to her Semblance. You briefed us that this was a sign -a hint if you will- that the person is likely a Guardian if this trait came along during the same time the flames were present." The General urged Lavendel to continue. "Plus, during the event, I felt little to no use of Aura aside from the use of her Semblance almost as if it was near inexhaustible." Lavendel said, "Is there a change in mission parameters, Sir?"

"..."

"General Ironwood?"

"...Investigate further. I have an idea of what's happening, but it's merely a hypothesis at the moment. I'll need further evidence. The report is satisfactory for now. I'll leave you to your studies, Lieutenant, Private."

The two Atlesian students saluted their General before the connection ended. Lavendel remained quiet, and sat on a bed. Lavender's partner, Alabaster, stared at Lavender closely.

"Is it bothering you that much, Lavendel?" He asked. "The loss, I mean?"

"No. Not really." Lavendel replied halfheartedly with a wave of a hand. "My chin aches a lot though. T'was a nasty hit. Clean on the jaw."

"You'll be fine soon." Alabaster patted his partner's back in assurance. "You're more resilient than I am, partner."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence, Alabaster." Lavendel replied.

"By the way, did you see where River and Braende are?"

"Lunch."

* * *

A woman with plum colored hair with bangs that hung over her forehead and sported a ponytail snarled at the sight. "Oh _this_ is just _fantastic._ It's not like I wanted to have an easy day today at all." She gnashed her teeth. "Perfect way to spend my time..."

"Ms. Lee, I don't think your fury is needed for this job." A calmer man with short and straight black hair said. "It's better off that you calm down first."

"Amazing." Saitama said with awe. The man and woman beside him craned their heads at the bald man. "What? You have to admit this takes some _effort_ to ruin the dining hall to this level, Revy, Lee. I'm surprised we even used any DEFCON levels at all! I thought-."

The three heard a stampede of footsteps from one person. The three looked behind them to see Naruto full sprint.

"Well...I guess he's on the same boat as you, Saitama." The black haired man, Lee Shenshun, commented.

"Poor kid." The three said at the same time.

Naruto skidded to a halt, and took in the sights of a rainbow mess of food, trays, and furniture. His eyes contracted. Again. And again. And again. The blond palmed his face. "This is a nightmare..."

The older janitors chuckled at Naruto's response to the disaster. Each one of them thought about the criteria for another code for 'mess'. ' _He'd hate Code Kaleidoscope so_ _much more._ ' They thought eerily in sync.

 _ **And that's it for this chapter. How's this start for Volume 2? Hope you enjoyed. No tricks here as usual. What you see is what you got.**_

 _ **By the way, for those who still haven't figured it out that Sasuke was planned to be a cripple from the beginning, here's a deleted scene that kinda explains it.**_

Ruby came back immediately with a board full of materials and tools stacked on top of it. "Old friend? Nope. Sasuke is the name of Yang's childhood crush that she crippled in that haunted house accident. I told you about this near the end of chapter 3: A Simple Disagreement!"

Silence.

"What?" Everyone else asked.

"What?" Ruby herself asked about her strange response.

"Nora!" Nora cheered and interrupted.

 _ **Anyways, review, follow, favorite, I don't care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	28. A Simple Meeting

_**Here**_ _ **'**_ _ **s the next chapter.**_

Disclaimer: First chapter

Chapter 25: A Simple Meeting

"Ironwood certainly loves bringing his work wherever he travels." Glynda spoke critically of the sight she saw outside the window. "Typical of him. The man can't ever be subtle." She shook her head. "Atlesian tradition of being grand any and all times certainly shows itself."

"Now, now, Glynda. Running an academy and a military makes him a busy man." Ozpin defended. However, his expression hardened and narrowed. "But yes, those _are_ a bit of an eyesore." He spoke calmly. "I'd rather have my view of Vale instead of a view of warships cluttering the skies." Ozpin turned around when his desk alerted him of someone about to enter his office. "Come in." He said. The door opened, and revealed a man in a white suit.

"Ozpin." The man greeted with glee. Ozpin walked towards the new arrival, with his hands behind his back. He greeted the man formally in return. "Please, drop the formalities." The man requested as the two came together to shake hands. The man noticed Glynda come by, and he greeted her as well. "Glynda! It's certainly been too long since we last met."

"Hello, James." Glynda greeted with feigned courtesy. "What brings you here?"

"Indeed, that is a question i find myself asking as well." Ozpin spoke neutrally under the tension that rose because of Glynda's latent irritation. The Headmaster of Beacon turned to his desk to pour his fellow Headmaster a cup of coffee. "Headmasters don't usually accompany their students for the Vytal Festival." He said as he gave the man a mug.

"Well you know how much I love Vale this time of year." Ironwood said while he poured some cream in his coffee. "Besides, with you hosting, I think there isn't a more appropriate chance to catch up."

Ozpin walked around his desk, and poured himself a cup of his own coffee. "I can certainly appreciate quality time with friends," He told to the Atlesian Headmaster, "However, the small fleet outside my window has me somewhat concerned."

The military man exhaled deeply as if he expected the statement to come out sometime within the conversation. "Well…concern _is_ what brought them here."

Ozpin took a sip of his coffee before he spoke. "I understand travel between kingdoms has become increasingly difficult-"

"Oz…you, Glynda, and I know why I brought those men."

Glynda sighed. "Typical…using deterrence on an opposing force we don't know about." She sucked her teeth. "Your fleet has no concrete reason why they should be here!"

"Glynda." Ozpin warned. "I will not allow confrontations such as these in my office." He said with a slam of his mug. "And you, James…we are in a time of peace." He reminded the Atlesian Headmaster. "Shows of power like this are just going to give off the wrong impression."

Ironwood placed his hands on the desk. "But if what Qrow said is true-"

Ozpin raised his right index finger to make Ironwood stop his line of thought, "If what Qrow said is true, then we will handle it _tactfully_." The man watched as Ironwood's expression slowly formed into a scowl or some sort of disagreement on the Atlesian Headmaster's face. "It's the Vytal Festival." Ozpin reminded him. "A time to celebrate unity and peace. So I suggest you not scare people by transporting hundreds of soldiers halfway across the continent."

"I'm being cautious, Ozpin." Ironwood explained himself. "The White Fang are mobilizing. The incident last month alone proved that they're getting more and more bolder by the day."

"So you've heard about it." Ozpin said lowly. He lowered his face to his hands as he supported his upper body on his elbows, and stared at Ironwood. "What did you hear?"

"Your students and one Haven Academy student, who stowed away, repelled a small group of armed White Fang members and caused massive destruction in order to prevent a successful raid."

Ozpin did not believe his friend knew so little of such a giant event. He was skeptical, but even Ozpin knew that Ironwood was capable of holding secrets of his own. "And what else, James?"

"The Fiamma has returned. At least the heir did." Ironwood answered. The room became absolutely silent except the clicks of the rotating gears of course. When there was an ample amount of silence, the man continued, "If we can have him take over the White Fang once-"

"No." Glynda interrupted.

The military man stepped back from the sudden reply. "Excuse me, Glynda?"

The woman did not face the military man. "If you know about _him_ , then rest assured that I _will not_ let you have what you want out of him." Glynda responded harshly. Her Aura manifested outward, and covered her in a thick mist of purple.

"W-Wait! Where is this hostility coming from?" He asked as calmly as possible when Glynda snapped her head at him with a heated glare.

"James, it's best you do not tread further on this line of topic." Ozpin warned. "As your fellow man, you must not provoke Glynda any more than you have."

"Was it something I said?" Ironwood asked. "Please tell me what I said wrong!"

"James! You _really_ do not want to know!" Ozpin reassured.

"What is so wrong about making the heir the next leader that he so rightfully deserves?" Ironwood asked. He stepped back from the desk. "Think! If he can control them, then we eliminate a great part of the threat!" He said so confidently. "And while restrained under new leadership, most likely in shambles due to dsyfunction, we can apprehend them with the full force of my fleet to show that any further threats will be stomped _thoroughly_!" The Atlesian Headmaster was flung to the end of the office without warning.

"Glynda!" Ozpin shouted.

"The Fiamma leads through trust, compassion, and through necessary action." Glynda explained. "If you help him reach his throne, then dismantle it all without warning by apprehending the White Fang as a whole, then you've only doomed him for life! Your plan will cause misaimed hate on a young man who doesn't know _how_ to lead his people! In the end, you'll only make a similar force compared to the White Fang or worse." She stepped forward with a wall of icicle daggers trained on the Atlesian Headmaster. "When the deception falls into place, he will be ostracized from both Humans and Faunus alike!" She boiled it down for the man to understand. "My-"

"Glynda!" Ozpin shouted again as he grabbed the woman's hand.

Glynda glared at her superior. " _My son_ , will not be a pawn, _Ozpin!_ " She whispered harshly to him.

"And it will not come to that, I assure you." Ozpin replied calmly. His grip on her left arm loosened. "We are not enemies here, Glynda. Do not make an enemy of someone we call a friend."

The woman made her attack disappear into thin air. "A friend of yours. Not mine." She stated bluntly. "I will not follow a man with a plan that jeopardizes _him_. Understand?"

"Yes…" Ozpin released Glynda. The woman immediately left the room with heavy footsteps that signaled her rage.

When Glynda fully left the room, Ozpin sighed. The man walked towards Ironwood, and offered a hand. "You should have followed my suggestion, James. You've unleashed a woman's wrath." He said softly before he thought, ' _Or rather_ _…_ _a mother_ _'_ _s wrath._ '

"Why the hostility?" Ironwood asked as he accepted the hand. He was pulled up, and the two men looked at each other.

Ozpin turned around to head for his desk. As he walked, he said, "Before we invited you into this circle, we had one other. Had he not passed away, he would still be here." The man grabbed his mug on his desk. He stirred it by subtly moving the mug. "That other was the man you know as Fiamma Secondo, or rather, Minato Fiamma." Ozpin craned his head to the side. He looked at Ironwood's utterly speechless expression. "Indeed, we had the second leader of the White Fang among our ranks. He was quite successful in keeping this secret, you know. Only in death did Glynda and I figure out who he was."

"Only you two? What about Qrow?"

"He's one of Minato's Guardians." Ozpin replied casually. "Anyways, let's get back to the matter at hand." He said as he faced the General. "Glynda has an _immeasurable_ amount of reasons why she's hostile. Specifically, she holds quite a bit of respect for our late colleague to the point that anything that comes to harm to the heir is a threat."Ozpin's expression showed no sign of anger nor disgust towards his friend's mistake. "Do consider that the next time you interact with her when the topic is about the young man in my care. Tread lightly, and choose your words carefully."

"…Understood." Ironwood replied lowly. "But even you must understand my-"

"Yes, I understand your actions." Ozpin assured. "However, your actions will cause more anxiety than safety." Ozpin removed his glasses to clean them. "Look behind me, and tell me…what threat are you anticipating that it requires a fleet?"

"I'm being cautious, Oz."

"It's fine to be cautious, but even you must know there is such a thing as paranoia." Ozpin replied back as he placed his glasses back on.

"There's also such a thing as doing nothing leading to doom." James argued back.

"Maybe so." The Beacon Headmaster admitted. "Every decision has its consequence."

"Your children will go to war at this rate!" Ironwood warned. "Do you think they can win a war?"

"No." Ozpin answered truthfully. "They are children with training on how to swing or shoot their weapons. They don't know how to kill. A Human or Faunus that is." Ozpin grabbed his mug, and sipped. Silence grew in between the two men. The silver-haired man lowered his mug. "To be honest, I hope to never lead my students to a catastrophe of that scale." He watched Ironwood twitched slightly. "This does not mean your army has the justification to stay here."

"My fleet will stay, Oz." The defiance in Ironwood's tone was clear. "I want my students safe."

"Mine too, James." Ozpin agreed with a nod. "But the difference between us is that I want to protect themselves by their own power while also giving themselves confidence on said power."

"And if that isn't enough?"

Ozpin went to his seat. "Then their teammates can cover their weaknesses. And if that isn't sufficient, then friends can offer help. And the process continues on from there."

"Isn't that contradicting your own desire, Oz?"

"If they seek help from others, it's because they know their own efforts are not enough." He explained. "I personally won't hold my students' hands, nor will the other teachers either. They will learn on their own from their experiences and cooperation with others."

"I see…" The Atlesian man walked away. "This is your way of doing things. I'll keep faith in your method, but even so, your children cannot win a war the way they are now." Ironwood left the room stoic in expression.

Ozpin waited for his friend to leave the room, and when Ironwood did, he muttered, "I hope they never have to fight in one." He inhaled deeply, then exhaled. He tapped his desk, and tapped it in an arbitrary fashion, where his fingers moved from one section to the other with a seemingly synthesized rhythm to the taps. When done, a platform opened to the left of the chair Ozpin sat on. On the platform was an ancient book aged horrendously. Its pages golden, frayed, and wrinkled were bound by a scratched up leather cover with a symbol on the middle.

A leaf-like design that spiraled at the center.

Ozpin's left hand grazed the surface of the book. He felt the rise and fall of the leather texture as if he gave it a therapeutic massage. The man idly thought of the Fiamma heir. His combat prowess and appearance seemed to fit well with the individual mentioned in the ancient text. He considered himself old, but even he remembered the ancient story of the Hero named Naruto. It was among the first legends in Remnant, and the Hero was famous for the mastery of manipulation of what seemed to be an archaic but powerful version of Aura.

Bordered on what appeared to be this world's definition of Magic too.

Ozpin analyzed what he knew of the Naruto he knew. The Fiamma recreated the signature move of the Hero perfectly and purely on instinct as if he played on muscle memory alone. His movements were steadily improved as well as if he was already a young man who fought in a war. That, or an individual regaining his skills after a long time of inactivity. Ozpin understood that no child simply had that kind of evolution. Not with how little he fought over the course of the semester.

' _Only twenty-five fights_ _…_ _And he_ _'_ _s a terrifyingly overwhelming force. His control_ _…_ _is astounding for a young man who only learned about his fragmented Aura months ago. The way he uses it too reminds me of how father told me how the humans of old fought -with capabilities no simple Semblance could perform._ ' Ozpin leaned back on his chair. ' _A second coming?_ ' The mere idea of the Fiamma's situation brought up a certain memory. Ozpin flipped to the end of the book, where a poem was written.

 _Even if the morrow is barren of promises,_

 _Nothing shall forestall my return._

 _To become the dew that quenches the land,_

 _To spare the sands, the seas, the skies,_

 _I offer thee this silent sacrifice._

Ozpin lowered the book onto the desk to analyze the poem for himself. His father told him of the stories written in the text, which was passed down throughout the generations. It was a small statement that Ozpin refused to believe as a child despite the miracles the text told time and again."…" He stared at his ceiling without so much as a change in expression or tone. "I remember… This is one piece of his legend that I refused to believe to be true."

" _Real life isn_ _'_ _t like what the stories told me, father! You_ _'_ _re a fool to still believe in them! Don_ _'_ _t waste your life on ancient legends that will never return to the land of the living!_ _"_

Ozpin closed the book. "Though perhaps I'm the fool who refuses to recognize the possibility of what's in front of me."

* * *

Two days after ground zero in the first year cafeteria, Team RWBY, JNPR, along with Sun and Neptune were enjoying some free time at the recreation center, arguably the second tallest and expansive building on campus. Ruby was at the forge section of the building at the top floor of the center, and wasted her time there. Yang and Sun were in the bottom floor, where the arcades were. The two were in a competitive mood, and fought against each other in a battle of wits and muscle memory through the use of fighting games while Neptune cheered for his leader. Jaune and Pyrrha were enjoying an X-Ray and Vav comic book together at the lounge on the second floor, where Blake enjoyed her alone time with her book. Nora went bowling, and dragged Ren along with her to the bowling alley on the same floor as all the games were.

Weiss? Weiss was in the music section of the recreation center, at the fourth floor. This was the section that was designed to contain all the noise produced inside. There were twenty soundproofed rooms all with any instrument of choice along with necessary equipment to perform properly. Each room was also allowed an audience, though few at a time considering the halls needed the walking space.

Weiss was in one of these rooms, and played her heart out on a piano with her delicate yet powerful fingers. Her dexterous fingers flew across the keyboard as she struck each key decisively and rapidly to the beat of her own soul, crying out just like the song she song she composed an played at the exact moment. Her harsh strikes of the keys weren't the source of any dissonance at all, it merely strengthened the passion of her performance.

"Mirror, mirror, what's behind you? Save me from the things I see!" She sang out like a nightingale as her performance quickened the pace. "I can keep it from the world; why won't you let me hide from me?" Her fingers struck lightning quick in a frenzied but orchestrated manner, "Mirror, mirror, tell me something…who's the loneliest of allllll?" And as the end neared, her song reached its crescendo with the clack of the keys. At crescendo's end, she finished the last lines, "I'm the loneliest…of…all…" Her hands finished off the final notes with softer strikes in the same manner her final lines were sung.

She placed her hands on her lap, and watched the piano closely. Slowly, her hands clutched her knees tightly. She got up off of her seat, and headed for the table nearby. She inspected the clutter she made from the various sheets of paper ruined by unsightly scribbles the clawed at the content like a furious cat. Her downtrodden expression, caused by her song and her failed attempts to compose a new one, was easily visible to anyone who watched her from the window that led to the hallway.

She decided not to mope about it for too long. She gathered her things, scrapped compositions and all, and left the room. On the way to the lower floors, she overheard on of the holoscreens news about the Schnee company. Weiss stopped at one of these holoscreens, and watched one of Vale's news anchors, Lisa Lavender, talk about the company.

" _Profits for the SDC are steadily decreasing._ " The anchorwoman said simply to say her main idea. The screen animated to fit something extra." _In this recap video playing off to the side, you can see how extensive the damage caused by last month_ _'_ _s incident at Vale_ _'_ _s shipyard._ " The video showed indiscriminate footage of the aftermath of the battle at the shipyard. Numerous warehouses, shipping crates, the ground, and nearby ships were heavily damaged. Electrical equipment, plumbing, and all sorts of other problems were visible as well." _The event plummeted sales by seventeen percent, an all-time low for the company. Projected numbers from multiple economic experts so far suggest profits will decrease further due to discriminatory attacks by the White Fang on anything manufactured by the Atlesian-based company. Furthermore-_ "

By that point, Weiss tuned out whatever came next. Her mind wandered elsewhere, but it was focused on one particular topic. "White Fang…why cause all this trouble?" She mumbled while her arms clenched tightly on her belongings. Her face scrunched up out of frustration. ' _Why_ _…_ _Why can_ _'_ _t we all get along?_ 'She stared at the screen with a disapproving look. She clutched her belonging tighter than before, and bent the shape of her hand into the binder that held her compositions and other paraphernalia. ' _Why? Why exclusively my family?_ ' The young woman asked inside her head.

" _Mother? Why can_ _'_ _t Humans and Faunus live together happily?_ _"_

" _It_ _'_ _s because both sides won_ _'_ _t listen to each other._ _"_ _Weiss_ _'_ _mother explained._ _"_ _Both sides are selfish, solely fighting for benefits for the their respective race that nobody ever stopped to talk to one another._ _"_

"Oh? Afternoon, Weiss." A voice greeted.

Weiss looked left and right, but saw no one. She felt a tap on her shoulder immediately after that, and turned around. It took a second, but once she did, Weiss stepped back from the revolting sight she bore witness to. "Naruto?! What happened? You're literally a mess!" She stated as she continued to stare as streaks of cheese pizza slowly oozed down his right shoulder, turkey bones poked out of his hair, gum stuck on the chest along with sausages, ketchup, other condiments, and a plethora of other unknown… _food and fluids_ stuck on his uniform.

Naruto crossed his arms, and stared at her with narrowed eyes. "Day _Two_ of Code Rainbow." Weiss was about to ask, but Naruto explained, "It means a _really big mess._ " Weiss wanted to say something again, but Naruto raised a finger to shush her, "It means a _really big_ food fight with undeniable _property damage._ " Weiss tried to open her mouth,"Upupupupup! I'm _not done!_ It also means…" He paused for dramatic effect. "It also means a raise!" He yipped for joy. "It took me a while to saw the good in this, and my goodness was it worth it!"

Weiss nodded because she was unsure of how to react to the situation. "So…this means you're okay then?" She clarified.

"Oh yeah!" Naruto exclaimed. "Fantastic! With the mess you made, I can double the amount in the check that I'll hand over to Granny. And then she can expand on the property, renovate some things, and could probably get school supplies for the little rascals! Oh and maybe…"

Weiss smiled at the enthusiasm Naruto had about the money he could potentially earn. It felt nice to see the guy happy. The tension she felt earlier when she watched the new moments before were cleansed away at the instant she saw him smile in what she felt like was a long time ago. She knew something happened at the docks. Ruby and Blake were too quiet about it; moreover, Naruto interrupted Ruby from talking about him at all that day. She noted that Yang knew something was up too. And so for a month, Weiss only saw fake smiles, a familiar action she performed many times.

When Naruto stopped his happy ramblings, Weiss asked, "I guess this means you're not mad at us for doing the food fight?"

"Oh no. I hate you guys for it too." The response was quick and had not betrayed his previous tone. Weiss stepped back because of the way the response was delivered, and was utterly gobsmacked. With a smile turned malicious (because of the response), Naruto said, "Everyone doing this job -and I mean _everyone-_ was drenched in two-day-old food stuck on the _ceiling_." He chuckled a little. "It was funny when the first guy got dunked, but when it happened to everyone, we _kinda_ got pissed. Don't even get me started on the food permanently stuck on the pores of some of the walls. Some of them are now _red_ because the ketchup won't wash off." He stepped back. "So let me clear this up: thanks for the pay raise, but I still hate you for the mess you made." He gave a thumbs up. "We clear?"

Weiss, still stunned by the response, nodded wordlessly.

"Since we cleared that up, I want your own personal payment." Naruto demanded lightly. "That and the others need to pay too for causing a piece of the total mess."

"Pay?" Weiss repeated. "Like in actual money?"

Naruto waved the idea away. "No, no. I have _a job_ for that." He reminded Weiss. "No. I want you to pay me in something else." His left hand cradled his chin as he wondered what sort of payment Weiss could do. He honestly thought he looked ridiculous as he attempted to look serious despite his absolutely messy appearance. Anyways, he snapped his left index finger and thumb together. "I want you to sing for me with that angelic voice you got!"

"EH?!" Weiss was shocked by the demand. "W-What? Why does it have to be singing?! Can it be something else?" Her cheeks gained a small tinge of red.

Naruto pouted. "What? Something wrong with that, Part-time Songstress?"

"Of course there is!"

Naruto continued to pout. "And…?"

"I want to focus on my studies!" Weiss answered quickly.

The blond Faunus scratched his head. "So that food fight was part of your studies then?" Naruto asked bluntly.

Weiss winced at the response. She averted her gaze away from Naruto. "I-It was a team building exercise." She defended the event with weak words.

Naruto smirked at Weiss's excuse. "You and I both know that's a lie as big as Beacon tower."

"Q-Quiet you!" Weiss stammered out as she blushed at her failed attempt to lie. "I have nothing to say to a person that won't even have the decency to clean up before a lady!"

Naruto looked to his left and right before he said, "Don't see anyone with that description." He kept a straight face as he watched Weiss's face fumed slightly. He couldn't help but snort a little at the childish expression the stern Schnee had on her face. "What's the matter, Weiss? Are you implying that you're a lady?"

"Of course I am, you dunce!" Weiss barked as she flailed her arms in anger. "I thought you had the common sense to connect the dots."

Naruto smugly smiled as he shrugged his shoulders. "Well the problem is…I don't see you as a lady." He said simply. He raised an eyebrow while he scanned Weiss from top to bottom. "No. You aren't a lady at all." He reiterated. He placed his hands in his pockets, and gave Weiss a softer expression. "I'm taking a line from Jaune, and say that you're a Snow Angel with a silken voice, tranquil like rain." He smiled before he walked away.

Weiss was left speechless at the statement. To think three young men, all with their own charms (as much as she hated to admit it) shared the same way of describing her. And out of all three of them…Jaune's was forced by false bravado; Neptune's was coincidental and…more suited to flirting. Weiss felt that Naruto's version -although admittedly borrowed- was the most sincere one, and the thought of it made her mind wander a bit too long on the character who called himself Naruto Uzumaki.

"I'll be waiting for my payment soon, Weiss!" Naruto shouted down the hall. "Catch ya later!" The blond sprinted to the nearest shower room to clean himself up from the mess.

Weiss watched him disappear from view before she went to her undetermined destination. She thought of Naruto's ridiculous request as a challenge; she needed to finish her new song to blow his expectations away.

* * *

Qrow was in a weapons shop to restock on ammunition. When done, he exited the store, and headed for the nearest bar to unwind. As he walked, he found himself looking at a raven's feather on the sidewalk.

His body went in alert, but he continued to walk. However, he did not get far because his Scroll beeped. He stopped to look at whatever alerted his device: a message.

From Raven.

Qrow kept a poker face, and opened his Scroll to look at whatever his estranged sister sent. He did not expect a picture. Nor did he expect the content of what the picture held. Before he could completely process the image, his sister called. Without delay, Qrow answered.

" _Did you get my message, brother?_ "

"Not even a hello, sister?" Qrow asked. "Classy Raven." He mumbled. "So. What _was_ that picture?"

" _An archaeological find of the century._ " Raven answered vaguely. " _It_ _'_ _s that obvious, brother, or is the alcohol preventing you from registering the image clearly?_ "

"I wanted an answer, not your usual shtick."

" _You_ _'_ _re no fun. I found this place while wandering the abandoned underground city here in Mountain Glenn._ " She answered. Before Qrow asked for clarification, she continued on, " _Aside from the strays here and there, nobody is really poking around the ruins, and here I am completely astonished by my find._ "

"Still doesn't explain the picture."

" _Something tells me, the_ Tome of Beginning _is correct, Qrow._ " Raven said seriously. " _Whatever we read all those years ago as children held some truth to it. In particular, the line_ _"_ _And so Death disappeared; The souls in his possession scattered into the world were free to do whatever they wished: remain in the astral plane or live once again._ _"_ _rings true to the situation._ "

"What do you mean, Raven?"

" _Look at the picture again, and see for yourself, Qrow._ " The call ended instantly.

Qrow looked at the message again with the intent on discovering what his sister meant. Again, he opened the message, and stared at the picture on his Scroll.

What he saw was a cavern with a cracked ceiling that allowed the smallest rays of concentrated sunlight to pour down into the space. The iridescent glow from the source bounced off the surrounding area, and what he saw paralyzed him.

He looked at a mountain full of faces carved into the rock. In total there were twelve. The sight itself was amazing for sure, but the faces themselves were what captured Qrow's attention the most. In particular, he recognized four of the twelve faces carved onto the mountain.

"Minato. Tsunade. Kakashi." He muttered in order. Respectively, their faces were fourth, fifth, and sixth from the left. The last face he recognized, was the seventh in that particular order, "Naruto."

 _ **All right, that**_ _ **'**_ _ **s it for this chapter. Admittedly short, but what can you do? It**_ _ **'**_ _ **s Finals week for me. As much as I liked to expand on the chapter, I felt this was an appropriate way to end that chapter. Anyways, how did you like that chapter?**_

 _ **I hope some of you aren**_ _ **'**_ _ **t getting bored by this slow progression. There is a reason why there is a lack of any distinct Naruto elements in the first volume of this story, and I plan on following that unnamed reason because I think it parallels to RWBY**_ _ **'**_ _ **s third volume of everything we knew about the world of Remnant being far more than what we believed to be.**_

 _ **Also, the poem used here is Loveless Act V recited by Genesis from Final Fantasy Crisis Core. I felt that it fit well with the story.**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	29. A Simple Remnant of a Forgotten Past

_**And time for the next chapter. Sorry this took a while. Got writer**_ _ **'**_ _ **s block when it came to progression after a certain point in the chapter.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 26: A Simple Remnant of a Forgotten Past

Raven sat atop the seventh head sculpted on the mountain. It was strange to her. The view consisted of hills of creeping and overgrown foliage. She could easily tell that underneath all the roots and leaves that covered the surface, there were homes, and buildings. A civilization was once here, underneath the ruins of the underground city of Mountain Glenn. From the looks of things, this was far older than any ruins discovered by archaeologists and historians. Yet somehow, it was more preserved than anything archaeologists usually dug up.

Held by her right hand was a tome of sorts. She opened that tome, and turned to a page she left off of.

 _ **-Retribution-**_

 _ **The world knew fire. The scars of self-destruction were laid bare to the Hero, who did not stop it. He was too far gone from the world's event to truly know how the people lived with or against others.**_

 _ **His eyes sparked ablaze with rage. Rage aimed at himself. This world knew fire. This world knew failure. This world knew death -for the briefest of moments. For years, the Hero stared at the all-consuming inferno while he wondered where did it all go wrong. During times like these, he felt a presence, one he ignored many times in favor of solitude.**_

 _ **One day, the impossible happened; Death approached him. The concept became a figure, a personification -**_ _ **a god**_ _ **\- that ruled over that very concept. It approached the immortal Hero to reveal a terrible truth.**_

 _ **It's hold over its own domain weakened. Significantly. The Hero didn't know what it meant at all until Death explained that the souls it collected were breaking free of its hold. The souls of the dead would roam free because not a single being believed in Death. An odd predicament for Death to hold value to the living, but it made sense to the Hero, who didn't believe he could die anymore.**_

 _ **"I'm not a god. I can't just create life!"**_

 _ **"Indeed you can**_ _ **'**_ _ **t.**_ _ **You merely guide the souls.**_ _ **Along with that, I'm sure you can make shells for the souls."**_

 _ **"What you're asking for is ridiculous!"**_

 _ **"Not as ridiculous as the person I'm talking to, the man who never backed down."**_

 _ **Their exchange lasted days, which undoubtedly wasted time for the specter that managed the afterlife. Each time they conversed, the Hero refused to do what was asked for it was a self-imposed taboo of the Hero to create life. It wasn't his place to perform such an act. It wasn't-**_

She slammed her book shut, placed it in her bag slung over her left shoulder, and brandished her sword. She stared left, right, up, and down. Her Grimm mask and pose gave her an imposing appearance. "Who's there?!" Her eyes narrowed when she felt multiple presences surround her. Then, one by one, the shadows began to move.

Black bodies sprinted at her without warning. Raven sheathed her blade, and waited. She pressed a button. Her revolver scabbard spun rapidly as it chose a blade from the numerous slots available. She waited and waited. The speed of the shadows were too fast for her to realize what she was up against, but she didn't need that knowledge. Not needed at all to make a significant counterattack.

The shadows pounced. The gears on the scabbard screeched to a halt. Like a prize wheel, the spinning slowed down to show which blade was selected. The spinning stopped. Raven pressed a trigger, and the blue blade at the slot was immediately attached to the handle of Raven's blade. She poured her Aura into the blade, and swiftly swung her sword out. Blade met air. Dust met Aura. The area was swept by a wall of wind and snow. The artificial blizzard blew the shadows away for a moment. Raven went for a return swing, and slashed a shadow, a Grimm that rushed from below. She turned around and bisected another that aimed at her back. She sent the sword down vertically in front of her, and sliced a Grimm perfectly down the middle.

The area around her was coated in a thin layer of frost and chunks of ice.

Her scabbard spun once more just as Raven's blade dispersed into thin air. She slammed her hilt back into the scabbard to pull another blade from a slot. Instead of a blizzard, a firestorm erupted from the next swing. Raven dashed towards the Grimm with the blade that slashed and cauterized the bodies of the defeated Grimm. She appeared to be swinging wildly, but it was a tactic to prevent herself from being surrounded so easily. The residual flames easily gave her a second of safety from overly aggressive Grimm. She sheathed the sword, and slid forward into her next and final slash with that current blade. With a defined arc of flame, the blade of Burn Dust was used up.

The scabbard spun again, then stopped the moment Raven returned the hilt into its proper place. She cared little for the next blade that was chosen. She pulled it out of the scabbard, and instantly held it in a reverse grip in order to stab the Grimm behind her. Golden electricity blanketed the area for one millisecond followed by the sound of the thunderclap. She cleanly pulled the sword out of the dissolving Grimm before she stabbed the golden sword into the ground. The floor crackled as the electricity expanded out of the point of impact like a ripple of water. The nearby Grimm were fried in an instant. The blade dissolved at the same time the last of the threats were eliminated.

The area became silent within moments. The placidity of this environment returned to its natural state. However, the woman knew something was wrong. She knew she stirred something upon these hallowed grounds. "…Volpi. Fox-type Grimm. Never have I seen such a coordinated attack from opportunistic Grimm. What is going on?" She wondered.

Just then, a crushing feeling of murderous intent was aimed at her. It was feral and unbridled rage concentrated strictly at her. She lowered herself on one knee, and looked beyond the ruins -looked into the shadows. In the void where no light touched, she felt the most peculiar sensation.

Raw energy. Compacted. Collected.

Her body was on alert. She needed to run. But it was too late. Out of the shadows, a red sphere of unstable energy shot out towards her position. Too fast to react to the incoming attack, she only had time to flinch at her incoming death.

* * *

Blake closed her book after she reached the end of the chapter she just finished. She focused on the holoscreen instead, which reported on the destruction of the shipyard a month ago. She cared little of the Schnee company's business status, but she did care about the people that toppled the first domino that led up to the shipyard's destruction.

' _Roman Torchwick and the White Fang._ ' Blake thought angrily as she stared upon the mugshots of the captured members of the White Fang as well as the ever elusive Roman. She quickly left the recreational building to go search for clues to any upcoming plans this unlikely partnership bred.

Her walking was stiff; it did not hold any of her catlike grace whenever she took a step. The few who noticed her stepped out of her way to evade her feline glare intensified by the color of her irises. It also helped that Team RWBY was infamous for their more…eccentric attitudes. Though Blake was more well known as the member of Team RWBY as the one that was quiet, she was also known for tending to be more vocal about things she was passionate about. Which meant, many knew about her constant clashes with the Schnee in the same team. Which also meant to stay away from her in particular.

One person didn't care. He walked up next to Blake, and kept in pace with her.

"I see you're planning something."

Blake growled. "Not now, Adam."

"You're going the lone cat route right now." Adam warned. "Remember what our lord said about that kind of behavior?"

Blake refused to entertain the memory of the event. "I don't understand." Blake said while she completely ignored what Adam spoke of. "Our lord should be more preoccupied with this situation." She took a quick glance at Adam as she walked. "His big brother figure is in leagues with the White Fang, who in turn are being led by someone else of a higher power." Her fists clenched tightly and her footsteps became stomps. "He should be-"

"He doesn't have to do anything." Adam stated bluntly. Blake halted to look at her mentor. Adam stared her down from behind his sunglasses. "He could have forgotten this whole thing, and just kept on with his life. But instead, he accepted this revelation." Adam rubbed the back of his neck. "It's rough, but he managed." Slyly, Adam reached for his stomach, where Naruto's devastating Aura attack months ago was; it still stung to this day. "He's accepted that what he has can't be forgotten." He kept on walking past Blake. "Besides, don't you think he's thinking about this whole mess from time to time? Someone he cherished is on the other side of this conflict. His blood is also the cause of it. How could he not ignore it?"

Blake glared at her mentor. "Well aren't you considerate to our lord." She remarked with a snarl.

Adam knew she mocked his previous merciless behavior, but chose not to act upon his stubborn macho retort he had in place for conversations like these. "I'm trying to change, Belle. As much as you hate me being here, I'm part of this as much as you are. And if our lord is telling us to back off, then we'll follow that request."

"But don't you get it?!" Blake asked. "If we back off now, then we only make them stronger!" She walked in front of him. "We're only getting closer to a war!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Adam muttered rhetorically. "I defected because I knew, and many others in the Fang that whatever plot is coming up next is _beyond_ screwed up." He made his answer vague in order to keep prying ears from learning too much. He pushed Blake aside. "As much as I want to help, I can't! I'm basically _dead_ to our brothers and sisters." He slammed his right fist on the nearby wall on his right. "If I reveal myself to be alive now, I only jeopardize us as a whole because they'll derail from whatever they've planned if they know I'm alive." He whispered harshly.

"Then let me investigate! Let me do this!" Blake pleaded. "I'm doing this because I want to help everyone."

Adam walked away, but not without a final word in. "I guess you took up a little of the signature Taurus stubbornness from under my tutelage." Blake bristled at the comment. She even hissed at the idea. But Adam cared little of Blake's opinion on that little remark. He sighed then said, "Do what you must. But know that whatever idea you have cooked up in your head about the condition of the Fang is drastically worse than what you've imagined. I'm sure Roman already hinted that there was more to this than you could imagine." He looked behind him. "I suggest you bring a team to help you investigate. Going alone on this is tantamount to suicide and too taxing on your own."

Blake watched Adam's retreating form, and whispered, "Understood."

* * *

Naruto held a plastic bag filled with his replacement clothes. He ran through the halls swiftly and smoothly without any collisions against any student or staff. It was quite a feat to him that he managed to not splatter any leftover food onto anybody. It also helped that many veered away from his messy form to allow some breathing space in between.

Though he may have liked the space, he felt that it was better to take a detour outside where there was less oncoming traffic from students. He got a few odd stares -most likely because of his disgusting appearance, but he hardly cared. He was more into exploring more of the area as he headed for the nearest shower room.

As he journeyed the area outside Beacon's walls, he was quickly distracted by the gardens he passed. Out of the wall of verdant leaves were a variety of colors that bloomed. Naruto found himself examining the red roses, white camellias, violet hydrangeas, golden lilies, and many more with surprising interest. Eventually, he stopped all together to examine the floral display he felt entranced to look at. He took in the fragrances of the flowers, and enjoyed the aroma that mixed with the air he breathed. It had such a calming effect on him that any worries he had just went away. His shoulders lacked any tension and so were his face, arms, and legs. For some reason, he felt like he remembered something as he stared at the sight.

"Heya, stranger!" A young woman's voice greeted off to Naruto's right. He turned to her, and was met with blonde hair that glowed from the sunset rays. It was Ino, the girl he met on the roof a couple of months ago. The sight sparked yet another memory not of his own.

The scenery changed. What once was an open area became a lightly trodden business district with a flower shop right in the middle of it. And in front of him was a smiling Ino, who posed with her arms behind her back. Strange sight. Even stranger was the exchange, which felt orchestrated not by his mind, but by his own soul. He was a puppet for the duration of the recollection.

" _Ino?_ _"_ _He asked._

 _She walked closer towards him, and dusted off dirt off of her gloves with the use of her orange apron she had on._ _"_ _What brings you to these parts? You_ _'_ _re not one for casual strolling._ _"_

 _He didn_ _'_ _t answer instantly. Too distracted with what he saw. Fortunately, he caught himself, and looked elsewhere in order to not appear strange with staring at the beauty in front of him for a prolonged period of time._ _"_ _Oh! U-Um_ _…_ _just the flowers. Never saw so many types sitting around in one place before. I_ _'_ _m kinda surprised. They look beautiful together._ _"_

 _Ino crossed her arms. He raised an eyebrow at the non-verbal reaction. She said,_ _"_ _Never pegged you for a guy into flowers._ _"_ _She smiled after that._ _"_ _Though I guess it suits the way you are._ _"_

 _He scratched his head._ _"_ _That supposed to insult me?_ _"_

" _Not really._ _"_ _She replied with a shrug of her shoulders._ _"_ _All I_ _'_ _m saying is I_ _'_ _m just surprised you_ _'_ _ve got an interest in flowers. Nothing more or less._ _"_

" _Why wouldn_ _'_ _t I appreciate flowers?_ _"_ _He asked._ _"_ _This kind of arrangement makes them very pretty to look at and they give off a calming effect._ _"_ _He faced the garden._ _"_ _Well_ _…_ _to me at least._ _"_ _He said with a tone full of contentment._

" _Thanks._ _"_ _He faced her with a puzzled look plastered on._ _"_ _For saying my work is something more than just a pretty thing to look at._ _"_ _She said with a small blush on her face._ _"_ _I don_ _'_ _t get that kind of response often._ _"_

" _You did this?_ _"_

 _Her face contorted into a frown. She looked absolutely irritated by the response._ _"_ _Of course! Why do you think I_ _'_ _m wearing gardening clothes?!_ _"_ _She asked rhetorically._

 _He shrugged his shoulders._ _"_ _Dunno._ _"_ _He placed his hands in his pockets._ _"_ _So if this is your work, then great job on it! It_ _'_ _s very beautiful._ _"_

" _Thanks._ _"_

" _No prob._ _"_

"Y'know…I'd like to stay and chat some more, Mr. Janitor, but you need a bath."

"Huh?" Naruto blinked several times before he noticed he was out of that random memory again. "Oh. Right. Thanks for the reminder." He started to walk past her. "Keep up the good work." He said as the final word to their conversation. Though, as he walked away, Naruto heard more of that memory's final moments. It did not come with the visual, but the sounds of the memory were all that he needed.

" _You know_ _…_ _there is one thing this garden doesn_ _'_ _t have._ _"_

" _And what is that one thing?_ _"_ _She asked as if to humor him._ _"_ _What is my garden missing?_ _"_

 _He scoffed._ _"_ _These may be beautiful, but they_ _'_ _ve got nothing on you._ _"_ _He said simply._

" _W-What?! Where did that come from?!_ _"_ _She stuttered out._

" _What? Can_ _'_ _t say a compliment?_ _"_

" _No one just_ casually _slides in those kinds of compliments!_ _"_ _She yelled indignantly._

" _Well too bad._ _"_ _He said._ _"_ _I just did it. Accept it or not I don_ _'_ _t care. All I_ _'_ _m saying is you_ _'_ _re gorgeous. Nothing more or less._ _"_

"A scattered dream that's like a far-off memory…" He shook his head. "No. More like a far-off memory that's like…a scattered dream." Naruto kept walking away now with a headache towed along with him. ' _Whose memories are these?!_ ' He demanded to know. ' _Why do I_ have _these memories?! Why do they keep coming back?!_ ' A sharp ringing pierced his ears. Static sounds frazzled his cognitive functions.

Suddenly, a powerful pressure crushed him down onto his knees. It was a familiar sensation to him. It was faint, but its energy still had a prominent effect on Naruto. The blond Faunus shuddered at the imaginary hammer of power that paralyzed him. Naruto clutched the right side of his face as he tried to bear the phantom pain. His free hand clutched his heart that beat faster and faster with every passing second. The static ringing in his ears morphed into dissonant sounds of bashed metal as if it emphasized the crushing force that kept him still.

It almost sounded like something wanted to get out.

Naruto found the will to move. Whenever the sound ceased, Naruto willed his body to stand up. His progress was slow, but he slowly pushed through the pain with a couple of stumbles along the way. Like a weak old man, his manner of walking was stilted. Naruto locked onto a watering hole a few birds were resting on, and threw his arms over it to support his body. The blond's breaths became ragged and hard. He watched his reflection on the water.

The image was blurry like an old television screen. However, beyond the static, he noticed something was quite different about him, and he didn't like it. His canines became far more pronounced, his whisker marks far more defined, and his violently shaken baby blue eyes transformed into blood red irises with slits for pupils. His appearance in the warped vision was more beastly than before. It only made him remember even more things. It made his head figuratively split apart from the massive mental strain.

 _ **& ^% !)+-/**_ _ **"**_ _ **:~`!**_

" **DESTROY EVERYTHING!** _ **Erase everything that hurts you**_ _ **…**_ _ **"**_ _ **! ($*^/+`-+! Entrust your heart to me**_ _ **…**_ _ **%$# (:`~;=_! I will save you from your pain**_ _ **…"**_

 _ **^*#$% &**_ _ **"**_ _ **+=_-~!**_

" _ **Why are you hesitating? $ &%^)( ! You need my power, right? -=(*&^%$! Well, who do you want to kill?**_ _ **"**_

 _ ***^$!)+-~:{}; #* &!**_

" _Fight it!_ _"_

" _ **I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t understand! Your body submits. Your heart succumbs. So why does your mind resist?!**_ _ **"**_

Naruto saw the sight of a broken moon and the silhouette of a floating humanoid thing with strange eyes with concentric rings that surrounded the pupil. A final snippet of memory snuck in -one that stung far more than the headache.

" _Hey! Snap out of it! Remember who you are! You_ _'_ _re my partner, right?! C_ _'_ _mon! Wake up to your right mind, you furry bastard! K# (* &^+}/:~!_ _"_

" _ **I**_ _ **'**_ _ **m**_ _ **…**_ _ **a-asking you as your friend! PUT AN END TO ME!**_ _ **"**_

* * *

Raven looked in shock and awe at the sight she saw. The ball of energy she saw moments ago was stopped to a screeching halt. And done so by none other than a rather peculiar glyph. A ring of golding etchings created a golden wall that stopped the energy attack from successfully landing. That golden wall slowly dissipated, and allowed that ball of mass destruction halfway through before the ring of strange and glowing letters constricted it to a smaller size. Raven could sense the power in the sphere slowly deteriorated. When the sphere fully disappeared, nine golden chains sprouted from the darkness, and chained itself to…nothing.

"Enough power for nine more chains again? You truly never learn." Said a man off to Raven's right.

The woman snapped her head at the one who made the comment. "You!" She snarled at the appearance of the man before her.

The man faced raven without an ounce of fear from him. "Afternoon, Mrs. Xiao Long." He greeted cordially.

The woman stepped back and grabbed the hilt of her sword. "Don't call me that." Raven said monotonously. "Why are you here? _How_ did you get here?" Her eyes narrowed in focus; she was ready for a fight if it came.

The man raised a hand and fanned it downward. "Ah. Apologies. I'm sure you want to be called by your maiden name, Branwen." The man spoke calmly. "As for your questions…I am a guardian of that beast you discovered. As for my mode of transportation… I'll leave that to your imagination."

The woman narrowed her eyes further at the man. "You say beast. I see a shadow."

The man let out a small puff of air as a form of stifled laughter. "Come now, Ms. Branwen. You read the _Tome of Beginning._ I'm sure you know what this place is."

The woman looked at the tome she held in her bag. She took a glance around her before she confirmed her suspicions. "Konoha. The Hero's home village." Raven replied. She watched the man in confirmation. "I don't understand what that has to do with the beast you say is over there in the shadows." She threatened to pull her sword. "What joke are you playing with your roundabout questions and answers?"

"It's quite simple really. You can't see the beast because the Grimm are constantly trying to rip off the chains. An admirable task. As you can see, their bodies are covering up the beast inside. That black mass are the Grimm that attempt to free it from the confines of this space." The man explained. "Though I do question your proficiency in the Hero's history if you can't discern the identity of the monstrosity in that wall of shadow." The man pulled out a mug of hot coffee. "I'm sure it's obvious."

Raven looked at the wall of shadow keenly. No features were ever visible. "You say there's a beast in that wall. And it's connected to this ruined village." The man nodded. Her puzzled expression lasted half a minute. She took several steps back. "Ozpin…you can't mean-!"

"Meet a simple remnant of a forgotten past, Ms. Branwen." Ozpin said before he sipped his coffee. He pushed some of his weight on his cane. "Before you is one of the nine beasts-turned-Grimm, the Ninth beast, the Nine-Tailed Fox, who attacked the Hero's village on the day he was born. The beast who was corrupted along with its brethren, and lost their names to the sands of time only to be remembered in frayed and tattered tomes made generations ago."

"But those were millennia ago! How does this place still stand? How is the beast still chained up to this day?"

"By ancient arts even I cannot perform." Ozpin answered. He faced the raven-haired woman.

Raven placed a hand on her mask. "…How could this be?" She asked while she took several steps backwards. She continued to walk as she contemplated the information given to her. "I expected parts of the Tome's important entries to be true, not all of it!"

"Who said it was all of it?" Ozpin asked. "Legends are merely legends."

"But legends always have a sprinkle of truth. I'm sure you've heard that from my brother."

"I'm well aware. I also believe in that mentality."

"Then why the wishy-washy position of telling me the Tome is fiction before admitting that some of it is true?" She asked but received no answer. She cautiously glanced at the wall of shadow. "Nevermind. As I said, the Tome might be implying that all of its entries are true. If the Nine-tails is here, then the other eight have to be around." Raven said to start off. "If they are here, then there is a hint to the creation of the Creatures of Grimm and the world we live in as we know it; there is another massive -colossal- chunk of history lost!" She placed her left hand on her sword hilt. "If that is so, then everything that we've learned about creation of this world was wrong -that there was an era wiped off the history books solely because the world itself was a _clean slate_. The humans and Faunus that came to be are a product of a self-destructive society reformed and remade by the immortal Hero that guided the souls of the dead." She swiped her right hand outwards. "This ruined village _alone_ defies the harsh condition of time, and still stands to this day as a reminder of that forgotten past."

"Surely you jest, Ms. Branwen." Ozpin remarked. "You don't actually think we were made from the ashes and dust of the world, do you?"

"No. But if buildings and creatures from long ago are still presently existent in our world, then I have to be a little skeptical of what I can or can't believe to be true about this world and what happened to it millennia ago…"

"Very true." Ozpin agreed. "So what now? May I ask you a few questions, Ms. Branwen?"

"…Depends."

"Why?" Ozpin asked.

Raven slammed her mouth shut. She knew what Ozpin asked from that one word. The way he asked it was very reminiscent of Qrow's own when he confronted her the first time. The woman kept her body atop the balls of her feet. Her fists were clenched tightly.

"It seems you know what I'm asking of you."

Raven's red eyes locked on Ozpin's own. "…I have _no reason_ to answer that question to someone I don't know."

"Then did you answer Taiyang and Qrow when they confronted you?"

"…" Raven swiped her right hand in front of her. A wavy, vertical, and invisible plane emerged in front of the woman. She stepped forward before Ozpin realized what she did. Without warning, she disappeared from the area.

Ozpin sighed before he too disappeared from the area. Coated in a brilliant light, he was gone the moment the illuminating source faded.

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes. He realized he was in a different, but familiar place. He recognized he was on his back, which touched the inviting softness and springiness that was his bed. He wasn't in his work clothes either; just a gray tank top and orange jersey shorts. Even stranger he was clean. Not absolutely clean, but wiped off of sweat and grime. Even his hair was clean. Though it was not styled the way it usually was. His hair was perfectly straight down. He touched his hair. Wet too.

He sat up on his bed. "Who?" He looked to his left and saw who helped him out. "…" He opened his mouth to talk, but he didn't know how to address the young woman slumped over in a chair. "…S-Sage?" He asked.

"The prince awakens from his slumber!" A cocky young man's voice erupted with glee.

The voice jogs Naruto's mind to think and process things properly. He stares at the leg end of his bed, and saw Mercury sitting on the bed frame. "Merc? If you're here then…" He looked back to the young woman. "Em?"

Emerald's eyes fluttered open. "Hn?" She glanced over at Naruto, then promptly jumped out of her chair. "When did you get back up?!"

"Relax, Em. He got up just a minute ago." Merc answered for Naruto.

"Why are you two here?"

"Haven Academy students." Mercury lied. "Participating in the Vytal Festival."

Naruto chose to not question the response. "Nice. Now for another question: How am I here?" The blond interjected. "I was outside and then…" He clutched his head. He remembered the strange sensation that caused to disorient himself, but not what caused it. It was as blank as a white canvas; nothing could be recalled. His frustration grew, and his expressions told it all. "I…I can't remember."

The two friends were skeptical about the response. Mercury chose to voice out that feeling. "How do you forget something that caused you a massive headache and eventually pass out from?!" The young man stood up, and faced his bedridden friend properly. "You don't just simply forget that. It's practically bullshit!"

"Mercury!" Emerald chastised.

The mercury-themed Mercury flinched at the tone. "Well it is." Mercury calmly defended.

"That's just the thing. I can't remember anything, Merc!" Naruto snapped back. He made a fist and smacked his temples. "Nothing." He smacked the area again. "Literally _nothing_ is coming to me about what made me get that headache in the first place!" He tried to explain it some more, but could not find the words to say what happened. "Look, let's skip that part for now. How did I get here?"

"Happy-go-lucky redhead lugged you around piggyback style. I think she said her name was Nora." Emerald responded. "Said she found you on the verge of collapsing then carried you around until we found her heading for your room."

"And how did she know where to go?" Naruto asked. He watched his two friends look at each other nervously. "Well? Spit it out."

"…Your mom guided the way." Emerald replied lowly.

Naruto's eyes widened while his body stiffened.

"Your redhead friend may not have noticed, but we did, Naruto." Mercury answered the obvious question that needn't be asked. "She was looking at you as if you were on death's door. She grew flustered when she heard you groan out incoherent babble. The lady was a teacher, and she was more worried about _you_ than she was about any other student. Instead of sending you to the infirmary like a normal person, she lead the way to your room instead. All the while, she denied that whatever happened to you was something that could be healed with medicine." Mercury palmed his face. "She even washed you up with a wet cloth and doused your hair by the sink faucet and shampooed your hair."

"And my clothes?" Naruto looked down to his attire.

"Yeah…I did that. It was already awkward as it is to watch that woman do that. I was not about to make her dress you up, you lazy bastard."

"Simply put, as you've heard, she did not have a great poker face." Emerald summed it up before an argument took place.

Naruto's door opened at that moment in time.

"Hey, you two!" An energetic voice greeted. "Is Naruru up yet? Me and Professor Goodwitch got him some bowls of ramen to eat!"

 _ **And there we go for the end of this chapter. Just for clarification**_ _ **…**_ _ **Naruto wasn**_ _ **'**_ _ **t using any of Kurama**_ _ **'**_ _ **s chakra. If any of you read closely, his vision was pretty much screwed with no way to tell what**_ _ **'**_ _ **s real or not without the help of the visual distortions. Aside from that, what you**_ _ **'**_ _ **ve read is what you get.**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don**_ _ **'**_ _ **t care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	30. Interlude: A Simple Conversation

Disclaimer: first chapter

Interlude: A Simple Conversation in the Night

"So? How was the mission?" He asked while he took a seat on the other side of the table. "Nothing too bad happened out there I hope?" The balcony light illuminated his blond hair easily. The slight movements of his head made each outward strand follow the motions.

"It was a chore." She answered softly. "Really now…these extermination missions are becoming more and more bland by the week." She leaned back on her chair and crossed her arms. Her pout merely intensified her disappointment. Childish but charming at the same time. These displays of immaturity reassured the husband that his wife wasn't a robot or totally stuck-up for the day. "Even JNPR, CFVY, SSSN, NDGO, and FNKY actually objected to some of these missions to get _variety._ " She looked off to the side to watch Mistral's glistening shores illuminated by the scattered moon up above.

His expression softened. "I see." He stood up from his chair, and walked behind her. "You're being stressed out again…" He observed as he placed a hand on her right shoulder. "How many times have I told you to just go with the flow when it comes to these things?" His question was met with a grumble. "…Hmm. Don't tell me you went ahead by yourself?" He heard grumbling again. His free hand met his face. "Honey…this is why you have a _team_. I thought you got rid of those tendencies at the Academy? Hell, the others sure did." Even more grumbling emitted from her mouth. He sighed. A firm grip caressed each shoulder with great care and precision. He started with small and gentle motions to loosen his wife's muscles. She was quite rigid from what he could feel from the tension in her shoulders. However through the passing of time, his wife's stressful appearance waned like the phases of the moon. He lowered his head so his mouth was just by her right ear. He whispered, "Better?"

She looked down. "I'm sorry…" She whispered softly. "It was a moment of weakness. I just wanted to get back home to you and our child." She explained. "But it wasn't just me okay?!" Her quick jump to defend herself was typical, but not unappreciated. "The others wanted to just as badly, and I can't blame them. You do make a nice and warm body pillow."

"Oh no I've been objectified…" He said blankly. He heard his wife snicker at the response, but he had to get back to the root of this conversation. "You know…" He started off, and let his hands off his wife's shoulders. "I'd rather see you safe and sound -maybe a little scratched up or beat up- than in a coffin. I'm sure your daughter wants the same thing I do." He said to her bluntly. Then nonverbal response was immediate. His wife twitched and shivered at what most likely the implanted mental image of her death. He rubbed her shoulders again to comfort her. "I know you're a professional, but even so…" His voice felt defeated in a way.

"I…I understand." She said. "I won't do it again." She stated resolutely.

His arms hooked around her stomach, and pulled her up off her seat. She gave a cute little gasp that he didn't quite catch. He turned her around, and set her down on the balcony's stone rails. "I'm just saying to look out for yourself some more." He whispered in her ear. "Your work does have danger as a part of it." He nuzzled his face on her neck. "Just make it back home to me and our child safely. That's all I ask of you."

She placed her arms over his shoulders, and gave him a loving embrace. "I will. I promise."

"Papa…mama…" A sleepy voice whispered from the door that led to the balcony. "Can I get a bedtime poem? I can't sleep with Honō jumping around in our room. The others can't either, so they left the room, and went to the living room to sleep on the couch."

The father raised an eyebrow. "Bedtime poem?" He repeated. "Usually it's a story. What changed, Lilac?"

The little girl rubbed her eyes. "You and mama look busy. A poem is shorter. So I chose bedtime poem."

The couple looked at each other. The father scratched his head while the mother nudged him towards their daughter. The former scrunched up his face, and judged his wife harshly for the unsaid order to satisfy their daughter's innocent plea.

The father sighed. He accepted his fate. "You are such a daddy's girl, aren't you?" He mumbled at his daughter. He picked her up into his arms. He felt his little girl's arms hooked around his neck while her legs anchored around his waist. He held her firmly on her back while his other hand gently caressed her silky hair. He wondered for minutes what to recite as a poem.

 _Look to the sea, and let the rippling waves_

 _Carry your misery, your sorrow, your tears;_

 _Let the waves cleanse it all,_

 _Wipe it clean, and reset_

 _While it lulls you to a halcyon rest._

 _Hear its collision with the rocks and sand._

 _Block the rest of the noise, and fall deeper_

 _And deeper into the cool embrace of_

 _The summer's evening breeze._

All the while, the father gently rubbed his daughter's back, and eased her mind as she slowly fell asleep. He cared not what caused her to sleep, but rather he cared his daughter got what she wanted and needed. He let his daughter nuzzle her head on his neck while she feel deeper into a satisfying rest.

The father silently walked inside, and walked through the halls to reach his daughter's shared bedroom. His entrance was absolutely silent. He made sure he was as quiet as possible for the sake of his children's sleep. Thankfully, all of them were asleep. He guessed that the rest of them returned to the room when the elder sister fell asleep on her own. He smiled at the idea that he didn't need to make them fall asleep with extra effort. Not that he minded. They are his precious princesses after all. The father walked into the room littered with a plethora of belongings that were either too precious to destroy or too dangerous to set foot on. After he navigated the maze on the floor, he set his daughter down on her bed, just beneath Honō's own.

He kissed his daughter's forehead as well as the rest of them. He moved to the top bunk, and kissed his daughter, Honō's cheek. He went to the other side of the room, and gave kisses to the twins' foreheads. Finally, he moved up and kissed his second eldest daughter. After that, he cleaned the mess on the floor quietly. Books were returned to the shelves, toys to their box, and many more off to the side for an overall clean look.

Done with his fatherly gestures, he left the room with silent goodnight to his precious children.

"Are they all asleep?"

"Yeah..." He answered. "So back to our conversation earlier. Just come back alive, okay? I don't want to see you in a body bag; neither does Lilac. Same goes for the others. Our children need their mothers. I can't raise them alone."

He felt his wife's inviting embrace. "You're a great father. You know that right? You think about our family nonstop. Thank you for your hard work...really. We're glad to have you as our children's father."

"They're a challenge teaching them to live properly. They can be brash, demanding, ignorant, and infuriaying." He admitted. He turned around to face his wife's. "But that's natural. They're still growing up. They'll learn. I'm just proud of them. Because while they can be a challenge to raise, they are much more than that. I can tell...they're going places. They're taking after their mothers after all." He watched his wife blush slightly. "Speaking of which, where are the others?"

"Down in the basement with friends." She said. "It's game night."

The husband scratched his head, "What is game nigh-ow!" His wife flicked a finger at his forehead.

"None of that." She said bluntly.

"Alright..." He submitted. "Shall we go see them then?" He asked with a smile.

 ** _Not an actual chapter as you can tell, but hey it's Father's Day. Since I have these interlude chapters, I thought, why not one for this day?_**

 ** _So review, follow, favorite, I don't care._**

 ** _This is Azure signing off._**


	31. Glow

**_Welcome to a new chapter, folks! Sorry about the previous chapter. All I have to say it was appropriate in that instance because of the date._**

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 27: Glow

Blake somberly entered her dorm room, where she met the cheery faces of her teammates. She tried her best to hide her uneasiness, but Ruby, surprisingly saw through her façade. She overheard Ruby ask if she was thinking about Torchwick and the White Fang. Since she had nothing to hide, she nodded.

"Something big is going to happen, and no one is doing anything about it." Blake spoke out her worry clearly.

Yang was the first to step up to calm down the Faunus. "Ozpin told us not to worry. Between the police and the Huntsmen, I'm sure they can handle it."

Blake's golden eyes glared at all three of her teammates. "Those people don't know the White Fang like I do." She snarled. She took a deep breath, then exhaled the same amount. She explained, "My mentor has the ability to cut through Aura. His lineage alone is a threat because it's their weapons that do the damage. High frequency blades are their weapon of choice. They-"

Ruby interrupted. "Vibrate at unreal speeds that Aura is nothing to them. A Huntsman or Huntress's worst nightmare."

Blake turned away. "Their Semblance just makes it _worse_." She mumbled out. "Then there are the Marksmen, the Fireworks, the Shadows, and many more. There are threats that none of them are ready for." She walked to the right wall, and slammed a fist on it. "I'm surprised those bastards haven't mobilized all of White Fang to invade Vale!"

Weiss looked absolutely shocked. "Invade…Vale? A-Are you joking, Blake?"

"I wish I was…" The Faunus replied. "I…among the many people near the bottom of the chain of command, was sent out to arm ourselves. I didn't take guns, or swords, or anything that is _strictly_ defined as a weapon, but rather, I chose Dust. And my superiors _loved_ my idea." She growled out. "Those raids on your company, Weiss? It's my fault." She confessed. "Dust is a weapon all in itself, but most of us use them as ammo." Her fist knocked on the wall again. "I only wanted to take the Dust so that the oppressors couldn't shoot at us. My superiors saw it differently."

Weiss had to guess. "Ammunition that your oppressors don't have is ammunition you can use to shoot at them. Is that correct?" The Schnee looked at her teammate's head lowered in shame. "…You want this to end, don't you?" She asked.

"I do." Blake looked at her teammates, "I can confidently say that they have several warehouses _full_ of Schnee Dust Company Dust and only from that company. I can confidently say that they're armed for war; several raids were to steal Atlesian vehicles and weapons from convoys en route to the other Kingdoms. They have the potential to outgun the army if they are not careful. And I can confidently say that _anyone_ who refuses to accept their views will die."

"If we're going to get anywhere, we need information." Weiss said. She walked up to Blake, and placed a caring hand on her teammate's shoulder. "You're going to need your team to get the answers you want."

"I'm in as long as I get to punch that Torchwick guy right on the jaw." Yang said as she popped her knuckles. "My fist has a few choice words for him."

"I'll go as well." Weiss joined in. "It's time to start setting things right in the world."

The members of the team looked at their leader. They watched her contemplate the situation deeply. Yang in particular admired the fact her sister was slowly learning to adjust into her role as leader. Blake found it odd that Ruby thought about this, but chalked it up to maturity. Weiss herself was the most neutral about Ruby's response.

Ruby's silver eyes bore into Blake's golden ones. "Are you sure you want this to happen, Blake? You want to investigate the White Fang?"

"I do." Blake responded confidently.

"What if there are secrets you aren't supposed to find out come to light while we're investigating?" Ruby asked vaguely as she quickly glanced over Weiss and Yang. A small flicker of black flames escaped Ruby's fingers. "The way you view things might change again. Maybe…it'll be worse than before. Maybe…it'll tear our team apart again."

Blake narrowed her eyes. She got the message. She cursed her next words for they contained all of her hypocrisy over the matter. "I don't like it, but we need to find out what they're planning if we ever want Remnant to be at peace."

Ruby slapped her hands together. "Okay! Then as leader of Team RWBY, we will …singlehandedlytakedownthecriminalorganizationbentondestroyingworldpeace-HAAAAAAH!" Ruby gasped for air since her overeager response took every ounce of oxygen out of her lungs. She bent down to catch her breath, and raised a finger to signal that she wasn't done. "And we'll kick butt and chew bubblegum while we do it!"

"…"

Ruby tilted her head off to one side. "…Was it something I said?"

Weiss sighed in relief that her leader's antics were present. "…Okay. We all agree that we're going to find out more about the White Fang." She headed over to her bed. "Let's do this after school ends tomorrow. Will that be a start?"

"We can plan tomorrow." Yang said as she climbed up to her bed. "Right now…let's relax." The others agreed to the suggestion. "By the way, Rubes. What _were_ you making in the forge?"

"Extra equipment for Naruto." Ruby replied. "Why?"

"For Naruto?" Yang repeated. "I thought you were making a weapon for your own use."

Ruby waved off the idea. "Pshh… I already did that three days ago."

Yang plopped her back onto her bed. "So _that's_ why you were gone the moment class ended. You got the base from Sasuke, then you modded it that day, eh? Record time." The elder sister gave a thumbs up.

The team continued to chatter on about other things for the rest of the day whilst completing the last few pieces of school work.

* * *

Naruto raised an eyebrow at Nora's entrance. So did Mercury and Emerald. Though the former of the criminal duo slowly made a smirk. The latter glared because she knew how her partner's mind worked.

"A pet name?" Naruto asked. "When did I get that?"

"A long time ago!" Nora answered cheerily. "You never knew since we hardly talked and all. But anyways, how hot do you take your ramen? Because this is real hot, my fingers are burning, and I don't know how long I can hold this without spoiling what you've called the food of the gods. Blasphemy, I say, but I'm not going to judge a follower of a food of choice. So how's it going? No more headache and all that jazz?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…Was it something I said?" Nora asked.

"Ms. Valkyrie, I applaud you for helping Mr. Uzumaki here." Glynda started off. She placed a hand on Nora's shoulder. "If I may…I'd like you to refrain from bombarding Mr. Uzumaki here with rapid-fire statements. His expression shows confusion, and it's only growing."

"Okay!" The hammer-wielding girl sat on Naruto's bed. The sudden action surprised everyone in the room. "I'm guessing you're still a little out of it, so why don't I help you out?" She watched Naruto's confusion grew to another level. She handed Naruto the bowl of ramen. "Here. Put this on your lap while I feed you!" She opened the cover, and pulled out a pair of chopsticks from her skirt's pocket.

"Eh?"

Nora wiggled her right index finger at him. "You have to be a-okay all the time you know! Pyrrha's getting worried sick about you every now and then. She goes off on her own for hours sometimes trying to figure out how to help you! Sometimes, she even stalks you when she has the chance just to make sure you're okay. Okay -maybe not like a stalker, but a really worried friend. She's like a helicopter friend!" She exclaimed boldly. Then she calmed down. "You know, like a helicopter parent, but a friend instead, yeah, that thing."

Mercury smirked. Emerald cringed. Glynda didn't know what to feel.

The assassin walked up to his partner, and whispered, "What did I tell you? _Smooth operating._ "

Emerald jabbed her right elbow into Mercury's ribs. "Will you _shut up_ about that!" She growled at him. "I'm _tired_ of you bringing that up!" She watched her partner's smirk grew wider.

"Well, Naruto, we've got places to be aside from watching over your sorry ass. So we'll be on our way eh? Later bro!" Mercury left the room immediately, and caused a delayed response from Emerald. The pair was gone, and left only Glynda and Nora to accompany Naruto in the room.

"Nora, it's a nice gesture, but I'm fine. I can feed myself." Naruto said clearly. "I'm sure you've been gone for a while. Why not go back to your team? I'm sure they're worried about you. Ren especially." He added the last part.

Nora said, "Ren and I aren't 'together-together'!" She insisted with a surprisingly cute pout as she crossed her arms in annoyance. "But okay! Bye-bye Naruru!" Then out of the room the energetic girl went.

Silence stirred between mother and son. The latter gazed on his bowl of ramen while the former stared at the mop of wet and straight blond hair.

Naruto played with his ramen because he didn't feel hungry. That, and he couldn't really think of anything to say. When he did think of something, his body kept his mouth shut. His own body felt his conflict. He didn't like the situation. He needed to do something about it.

Just then, he heard his mother said, "I'm sorry…" She stepped back. "You…you told me not to baby you, and I disobeyed that request. I-I…" Naruto forced himself to look down. He didn't want to se what his mother's expression was like. Though, he had to admit. It stung to hear the woman he first saw as a powerful individual sound so vulnerable.

"…It's okay." He said as he stared into his bowl. "I…thank you for the gesture. You didn't have to, but you did. You could have left me to the nurses in the infirmary, but instead you took care of me, no matter how short the moment was." His left hand clutched the bed's blanket tightly. "I heard from my friends, the two who left before Nora, that you worried for me. Like any parent to their child…" He took a deep breath, and paused for a few moments. He calmed down in order to look at his mother in the eye. "I'm happy…that you cared. Thank you."

The rest of the time became awkward. They shifted their gazes away from each other while they attempted to strike up a conversation that didn't focus on their strained relationship as mother and son. They tried, but the conversations ended with one word responses. The awkwardness between them only grew.

Glynda saw herself out. She said that it was better to let things flow naturally; a forced confrontation did more harm than good. The estranged mother left the room with a whisper of, "Thank you for letting me be a mother for one moment."

Naruto's hair twitched. Two tufts of his wet blond hair perked up. Naruto noticed the abnormality, and fixed his hair by rubbing it all over the place to mess up that straightness in his hair. He looked over to his mirror, and grabbed a comb to fix it to its proper hairstyle befitting a lion Faunus.

An alert came from his Scroll. It said he was exempted from his evening duties due to his earlier collapse. With nothing to do, he changed into casual clothing, and headed for the library for some reading. He needed to pass the time, and it was the least demanding thing for him at that moment.

The next day, he woke up early. He had to. He was assigned to shower room duty. As such, he decided to only wear a white tank top and swimming trunks since he knew he was going to be wet at some point. He realized that his body temperature rose in tune with his emotions. The more _heated_ he got, the hotter his body became. So in times of calm, Naruto knew it was possible to douse himself with water, and not boil it into steam. Though he did bring his uniform into the shower room just for that reason.

He placed a 'do not enter' sign in from of the shower room to prevent students from entering this particular shower room. He then proceeded to clean the area without much disturbance to his job. He let his mind wander as he scrubbed the floors and walls with relative ease. The patter of the water flowing out of the showered were his metronome that kept him calm and in rhythm to his work. Back and forth, he cleaned the shower room determined not to miss a spot.

An hour later, he finished his work. He realized that he missed his morning shower before he got to work. Since he was in the shower room, he decided to take a quick one just enough to completely rinse his hair and body with minimum amount of shampoo and soap.

Though that didn't go as planned.

As he showered, memories yet again bombarded his mind. He was still at the showers, but instead of visuals, he received memories of scents. He noted four memorable scents that came from trees or flowers: cherry blossoms, lilies, lavenders, and snapdragons. Each scent lingered in his mind, but he couldn't put a face to the entrancing fragrance. It frustrated him that he couldn't remember. His mind couldn't make sense of the colors that swam inside his brain. The glowing gold, the bright magenta, the alluring violet, and the stark burgundy -none of it made sense to him.

" _Why?!_ " He demanded. He slammed a fist on the wall out of frustration. " _Why_ is this _happening?!_ _What_ am I _remembering?!_ " The pain in his mind was much more prominent than the steaming water that trickled down his body. Few ever reached the drain while those that pooled at the floor boiled rapidly. "Why does my Aura glow for memories that aren't my own?!" His fists burned with his flames. However, they were calm. They did not burn.

He fell into silence for minutes. Soon, he regained his composure with some difficulty, and the steam wore off as time passed. Naruto's mind was put to ease at the image of Yang and Pyrrha, the pair who wanted to help unconditionally. The thought of them derailed those memories from invading his head again. He silently thanked the image of those two young women for calming him down. He got out of the shower, and lightly dried himself off. The blond put on his blue jumpsuit uniform, but did not zip it up all the way to his collar. Instead, he wrapped the rest of it around his waist with its sleeves tied together in a knot. He wore a loose white tank top to cover his torso. His boots squeaked as he hauled his janitorial belongings as well as his drenched clothes with him out of the shower room.

Naruto hadn't bothered himself with drying his hair. He looked at the time; most, if not all were in classrooms. No one could see him with his wet hair down with his skin still wet and glistened by his session at the shower.

As he exited, he took the sign, and placed it in its compartment on the janitor cart. He took out his Scroll, and opened a video streaming app in order to listen to a theme medley from a game called _Blaze Sigil._ And from his work bag, he took out a pair of wireless headphones, a gift from one of his elder sister figures. He connected the headphones to his Scroll, and pressed play to listen to the sounds of medieval heroic triumph on loop. "Du...du du du du...du...dududududu...du...du du du du du du...dududu." He hummed the beats as he hauled his cart away from the locker room, and headed for the nearest closet to stow away the equipment.

After he stowed away his equipment, Naruto headed for the cafeteria to grab some snacks. His earlier mood was gone due to the thought of food and the aid of music that pleased his ears. He looked so at peace that his feet sparked with a few harmless embers; he had no idea just how much his Aura was in tune with his emotions. The resonance between emotion and his soul was an experience that he had yet to feel.

His peaceful stroll to the cafeteria was disturbed by the person he bumped into. He hadn't realized he was in the way of someone, and was shocked by the collision. He stepped back to see who it was, and part of him wasn't surprised that he grew used to the sight of burning red hair in front of him. He rubbed the back of his head as he said, "Pyrrha? I'm sorry about bumping into you."

Pyrrha, without looking at him, said, "No, no. It's alright, Naruto." She realized who she responded to, then snapped her head at the Faunus next to her. "Naru-" She stopped herself, and bowed. "Oh! Sorry! I mistook you for-"

Naruto waved both his hands at her. "No! Pyrrha, it's me!" He said in a panic. The young man lifted his slightly wet bangs to show his blue eyes underneath. "See?" He asked with a smile at the end.

Pyrrha stared as told. She couldn't believe how much of a change wet hair was for Naruto. It made him look...alluring to Pyrrha. She stared at his golden wet locks, which clung to his face to the smooth contours that sculpted his cheeks. His eyes in shadow only emphasize the bright blue of his irises. The fact that parts of his body were wet showed how each individual drop moved along his hands, face, neck...etc. She flushed at the sight as well as the close proximity between them; their noses barely touched while his lips just far enough away from hers.

Uncomfortable with such a small gap between them, Pyrrha took a step back. Then she noticed one more peculiar thing about Naruto: two tufts of hair spiked outwards with one on the left while the other symmetrically placed on the other side. She watched Naruto tilt his head, and gaped at the sight when one of them twitched vigorously for a moment.

' _Cat ears?!_ ' She mentally shouted. ' _He has cat ears?! I thought his whiskers were the only thing identified him as a Faunus! Well...mother did say he was a Lion Faunus, but still-!_ ' Though despite the slight panic inside her brain, Pyrrha never showed any of that through her facial expression. Her face was the calmest it could have possibly be for that moment. "Yes...I can see that quite well." She answered clearly before she smiled at him. "I do admit it's rather strange to see you with a different look. It makes you look...more refined?" She was unsure of how to describe him. "Well...refined compared to how you usually look with your untamed mane being your general appearance."

"You think wet hair is refined?" Naruto asked.

"No. But it certainly starts to change my overall opinion of you." Pyrrha blushed slightly as she said what she thought.

"Eh? How so?"

"Flip your hair for a bit. It's kind of difficult to look at you in the eyes with your wet bangs in the way."

Naruto shrugged. He stepped back with the intent of not getting Pyrrha wet. Once a decent amount of distance away, he loosened himself from the neck before his head jerked to one side then to the other while he laterally moved his head as if he was a dog.

' _A handsome dog._ ' Pyrrha thought before she blushed up a storm at her mistake. ' _I mean cat. A handsome c-cat with ridicu-gah! Why am I thinking about how amazing he looks? Why am I-_ ' Her racing thoughts halted. It halted when she saw how...serene he looked. Her eyes just couldnt fathom it. His golden hair swung around smoothly like a pendulum. Droplets of water cascaded down the ends of his hair as physics dictated it to. Each individual strand followed as if it was in a dance being led by a partner. ' _Why isn't he a male model for hair products? He can give Yang a run for her money with the way he looks right now!_ ' In a trance, she didn't see Naruto was done with his hair-flipping moment.

"Better?" He asked. His eyes clear for her to see.

Pyrrha looked away with a tinge of her cheeks present. "Yeah. Better."

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "What? You tell me to fix it a little, now you don't even look my way? I'm hurt, Pyrrha." He said jokingly.

Pyrrha apologized while she corrected her mistake. She forced herself not to look up. "I'm sorry. It's just that..."

"Judging by your blushing face, you think I look handsome." Naruto spoke with unusual smugness. Pyrrha could feel the smirk on Naruto's face just from the tone she heard.

"Yeah..." Pyrrha admitted before she stood up straight and looked at him.

The two fell into complete silence.

Pyrrha's composure lasted only about ten seconds. "I-I mean no! N-Not that you're not handsome and all, but-"

Naruto raised his hands. "Okay. Calm down, Pyrrha. I read you loud and clear." He moved his head to the side. "You aren't the first to think like that when they saw me with wet hair." He heard Pyrrha make a small noise. "Yang may be my fist girlfriend and first to ever date, but I'm no stranger to...accompanying a girl for a night and the comments from them."

"You've done one night stands?" Pyrrha couldn't believe what she heard.

"No!" Naruto defended himself. He stepped back. His own face glowed red from the misunderstanding he brought up. He corrected that mistake. "Oum, no. I'm one hundred percent pure. I've gotten close calls -very scary close calls-, but I'm still pure." He shivered at the memories. It was when he learned to never keep his drink unattended. Either drink it in one go, or dump it. Sure, he held his drink, but slips of roofies or other date rape drugs...he didn't want to take a chance. "Anyways, let's talk. How are ya?" He asked politely.

"Better than you were yesterday." Pyrrha answered with a frown. "I heard from Nora that you collapsed. What happened?"

"I don't know..." He said. "Something vague. Memories, I think. Not too sure. I draw a blank." He pinched his temples. Truthfully, the distortions screwed up his perception to some degree, and he hated it. "All I can say it that whatever memory it was, it was a jackhammer of information shoved into my head that only spilled out without anything clogging up the leak."

Pyrrha turned around, and took a few steps back and forth while in deep thought. "Mother told me to keep an eye on you to make sure the changes the other part of your blood didn't overwhelm you too much. I'm sure Nora said I stalked you, but that isn't the case."

"If you stalked me, how come I haven't felt your presence?"

Pyrrha proudly puffed out her chest with her arms on her hips. A graceful smile etched upon her face, she started to say, "My mother is many things, and a ninja is one of them." Naruto looked amused at the Amazon's response. "Stealth is one of the many underused skills I have from my years of combat practice."

Naruto clapped his hands. "Amazing. That must be an experience."

Pyrrha nodded. "Anyways, my mother also said memory was key in your family's combat prowess as well as the other Guardians." She heard a grunt of confusion. "I heard from Jaune that sometimes something ordered, demonstrated, or something else guided you to do crazy moves. Apparently, that is not a coincidence. The rings are memory solidified. You experience combat memories from your father as well as your grandfather. It could be the reason why you blacked out."

"Something tells me that's not the case." Naruto said honestly. "I wasn't fighting anyone; that I can at least remember."

"Odd..."

"Yep."

"Well...if you're sure that you're all right...why not spar with me?" She suggested. "Surely you can handle a spar in your condition."

He shrugged. "Eh why not?" He headed for the cafeteria. "Finish your classes for the day, then we'll spar. Just make sure to don't go easy on me, Pyrrha." He said with a smile as he left the vicinity of the Mistralian Champion.

* * *

The two fighters readied themselves in the arena. The male simply wore his gauntlets while he held onto his knives. His opponent brandished her sword and shield. Between the two of them, banter wan't needed. The lion made the first move. He chucked his knives at high speeds. He saw Pyrrha immediately countered his attack by forcing the knives into the floor. Naruto charged forward in a mad dash and grabbed the knives, which carved on the surface of the floor and caught fire from the unbelievable friction. He leaped high into the air with his scorching blades above his head.

Pyrrha raised her shield to block the flames. She expected resistance from the heat of the flames themselves, but not actual weight behind the strike. She heard metal clang against her shield twice. ' _Two blades?! But they're supposed to be knives!_ ' She realized. ' _Extendable blades? So there's more to your weapon of choice than you let_ on.' She pushed her shield down along with Naruto's weapons. She couldn't see where exactly his weapon was from her point of view behind the shield, but they had to be there with an opening directly to her opponent. She thrust the sword at Naruto, who raised a wall of flames from his blades and parried her advancing strike. She watched his left foot advanced on her position, but couldn't see his blades. She kept herself on the defense while she consciously sensed for metal coming at her.

Her shield was jerked out of her left arm guard with a powerful roundhouse kick. Staggered, she couldn't evade the following lunge. Her arms crossed in front of her body took the heavy body blow that sent her off her feet backwards. She rolled backwards into a sprinter's stance. ' _He knows how to use distractions as openers for sure. I hate to admit it, but he knows how a ninja fights in hand-to-hand combat._ ' She smiled. ' _Mother did say that to combat a fighter like_ that...'

She moved her left hand to the roght quickly. ' _-Is_ _to be just as surprising and deceptive!_ ' Her shield rocketed towards Naruto at impressive speeds no glorified Frisbee could ever hope to achieve. She watched as Naruto ducked under it then came at her. Her left hand pulled back as she charged as well. Naruto flipped forward in time to dodge her shield. A failed attempt in her part, but at least her shield returned to its rightful place. Pyrrha blocked Naruto's next strike, and felt her knees buckled under the immense pressure of the kick she shielded herself from.

The weight above her disappeared. A flash blinded her for one moment. It was there that Pyrrha used her Semblance to pull anything metallic that came at her down to the floor. Her sword and shield were in front of her prepared for the worst. However, her defense had a flaw. She noticed that when Naruto's heel slammed full force at her head aided by gravity along with his and her Semblance to do extensive damage to any normal person.

Such an impact caused Pyrrha to bend forward, yet managed to stay standing with the aid of her sword. She pushed herself away from the threat. Her frantic green eyes locked onto her opponent's fist. Her Semblance active, Pyrrha charged in with her safety secure. The gauntlet marginally missed her face; however, the blistering heat still stung her skin. Her shield lifted Naruto's arm upwards as it bashed him squarely on the chest. Pyrrha withdrew her shield, then attacked with her knee.

Naruto caught her knee. "Nice try, Pyrrha." He threw her up in the air and chased after her. He grabbed her sides, then chucked her to the ground. Pyrrha landed shield first. His fists above him, he fell with gravity's aid. Though as he fell, Pyrrha protected herself with her spear. It arced up, nearly slashed through his shirt. He landed safely, but it did not last long. He heard the sound of a loaded rifle. He failed to evade, and his Aura took the damage. Next, a downward slash sliced at his Aura followed by a flurry of rapid-fire stabs not aided by recoil. Pyrrha's final strike ended with a recoil-powered stab to the sternum.

The Faunus rolled backwards from the well-placed combination of moves. He stopped himself on all fours. Caught in a breathless state, he lacked the ability to recover immediately. His body couldn't move, but his mind ran on all cylinders. Instincts commanded him to roll away and counter because it was the only way to live from the unseen threat. He acknowledged the threat; however, he ignored his instinctual action. He merely clapped his hands above his head.

He blocked something. He actually blocked something. The drive to fight to the death woke up inside him. His palms ignited as well as his crown of flames. His orange eyes locked onto Pyrrha's own. Aura fully unlocked, Naruto's threat level rose drastically. He looked at the weapon he held: A halberd fused from her spear and shield, the latter split at the middle and attached at the shaft of the polearm.

Naruto smiled. "The graceful Pyrrha Nikos reveals a ferocious secret weapon! Who knew?" His flames immediately died out.

Pyrrha withdrew her weapon. "I guess you are fine for the most part." She admitted. "Though I must say, the memories must be passing onto you quite well." She said. She watched her blond friend rose an eyebrow. "I mimicked my mother's style of fighting, where deception was key, but with offensive pressure as the driving force to the fight." She offered a hand, to which Naruto eagerly accepted. "For example, the way my shield moved out of my hands was the way my mother controlled her sword when it was out of hers. Hers had the offensive presence. Though mine is more subtle compared to red chains flying around the battlefield."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, you're learning. No harm done. Besides, you need something that makes you unique." He gave her an ear-splitting grin. "You're very unique in my book. Magnet powers, strong, graceful, polite...pretty face with great hair" He mumbled the last part to himself with a slight blush. "People call you "Champ" and stuff. I'll call you Pyrrha Nikos -one of my precious friends. And I wouldn't have you be anything else!"

Pyrrha chuckled at Naruto's directness. "That warms my heart that you think of me that way. Thank you."

He gave a thumbs up. "No prob."

Pyrrha split her shield and spear into their respective forms as she headed for the locker room. "After I change, want to grab something to eat?"

"Sure!"

* * *

An hour later, the pair were ready to part ways. Their separation was stopped when Naruto's right hand twitched. Two colors of flames, sparkling yellow and black, ignited his right palm for a few moments. Just then, a breaking news report came up on one of the nearby holoscreens.

" _We apologize for interrupting your regular program with breaking news concerning a large mech terrorizing Vale's sky road south of downtown. Huntsmen and Huntresses as well as local law enforcement are in pursuit as we speak; however, there seems to be a small group of trainees -students- that have taken it into their hands to stop the perpetrator inside the mech. Further details are scare as the Atlesian military leader, General James Ironwood has yet to give a response to this sudden event._ "

Pyrrha turned to Naruto, but he wasn't there.

 ** _And that's the end of the chapter. What do you think of it?_**

 ** _Review, follow, favorite, I don't care._**

 ** _This is Azure signing off._**


	32. The Sun in the Sky

**_Time for a new chapter. Hope you enjoy!_**

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 28: The Sun in the Sky's Embrace

Team ARBL, one of Atlas's teams under General Ironwood's command, mobilized for combat. The four students watched the news, and their Headmaster promptly called on active teams to suppress the threat. Luckily enough, they were just fresh out of the Bullhead because they returned from a stroll in the city. They quickly returned to that very Bullhead, and requested to fly over to the chase south of Vale. The vehicle took off, and headed for the disturbance.

" _One more thing, Lieutenant._ " Ironwood said on the Scroll.

"Yes, General?"

" _Do not let the Fiamma enter this conflict. Apprehend him if he is going anywhere near the rogue Paladin._ " He ordered. " _This is an Atlesian problem; we need to show the world we can clean up our messes. We need to show that our forces are needed in Vale._ " The General's explanation was easy to understand and to the point.

The leader paused for a moment. He took a deep breath. "…Understood."

The leader, Alabaster Tinsoldat, hung up on the call, then pulled out a suitcase, and stepped in it to get geared up in his stark white armor. His weapons were magnetically installed on his gauntlets and ankles. His gauntlet weapons were pile bunkers named Bulwark Demolisher. His weapons attached to his ankles were his concussive air boot system, C. A. B. for short. He sat down in one of the Bullhead's seats, and thought about the order.

He scrunched his eyebrows together. ' _A_ _pprehend? For what? He's innocent!'_ He thought.

"Bulwark Demolisher Level one piercing power is acceptable. C. A. B. Level one compression and discharge is optimal performance." His teammate and team mechanic, Braende, said to him. The teammate scratched her head, and disturbed her straight red hair up front. She sat opposite of him, her frown visible. "Do you think level one for each of your stuff is enough to take down a Paladin?" She asked as she restocked on Burn Dust for her flamethrower gauntlets. "I've seen the schematics and what they're made of. 1000 psi pushing a glorified nail isn't going to puncture that armor. Cutting the same area is more viable than going through that defense. Heat-resistant too. Plasma cutters are more suitable than my weapons." She looked at him while her hands entered her orange hoodie's pockets. "…Do I need to use my Semblance?"

Alabaster leaned forward with his elbows supported by his knees and his hands supported his chin. "Hopefully not. We only need to immobilize it. River can handle that part. Then Lavendel can bombard it from above if need be." He looked to his right, where the last two teammates were, "Isn't that right, you guys?"

River, official name, Reef Marina, pulled on her cyan wetsuit with her left hand. On her other hand was a flat, oval-shaped object fitted with a large Freeze, Surf, and Gust Dust in a triangular format on the object. "Isn't that our Modus Operandi? I'm the Trapper, Lavendel is the Assault, Braende is the Support, and you're the killing blow -our Glass Cannon."

Lavendel joined in on the conversation. "You shouldn't belittle our leader's capabilities, River."

"I'm not! Glass Cannons are stupidly overwhelming in offensive power! They're absolutely cheap!"

Lavendel sighed, and chopped the brown-haired young woman on the head. "This isn't a video game, River. If you're basing us off of game classes, then you're implying our leader can't take a punch to save his life."

"Compared to us, our fearless leader lasts the shortest in combat." Braende supplied to the conversation. "He lacks range. Mobility and powerful weapons can only get him so far against Human or Faunus opponents -against enemies that can think on the fly."

River went in to support Braende. "He also likes to make himself as a target. While not my problem, it kind of infuriates me that when he gets caught, he can't get out of the line of fire."

Alabaster, still in the Bullhead, stared on with a blank face. ' _I'm still here, you know…_ '

"Lieutenant!" The captain of the Bullhead called. "Unidentified flyer on radar on our six coming at high speeds. It's not registering as a missile!"

Alabaster became alert to the possible threat. "How fast is it going?!"

"Just short of supersonic!"

The leader immediately stood up, and reached out for the cargo bay door to open. The door slowly lowered, but he had a feeling he knew what was the unidentified object. He didn't question how the Fiamma could survive the speeds; he just knew that there was nothing to question when it came to the Fiamma and anything related to the name. While records about the Mantle Anarchy period were lost; word of mouth was still reliable. His grandfather told him what a Fiamma was capable of; however, he didn't expect this. "Lavendel, ready yourself to chase." He said. "Catch the Fiamma before he passes us. Even you know you can't go supersonic speeds even if you have high speeds in flight mode."

Lavendel stood in front of the cargo bay. "I'll try…" The moment the door fully opened, Lavendel saw a bright object in the distance.

"That's him?!" River shouted out in surprise. She whistled at the sight. "Gotta say I'm impressed. Human fireball, that one. Go get him, girl!" She slapped Lavendel's back to show her support.

The Atlesian flyer took a deep breath. Her left hand reached out to touch a button on her headset. Immediately, panels immediately opened up on the back of Lavendel's armor. Armor formed an aerodynamic helmet around her head. An orange visor covered her eyes while flexible metal formed a mask that attached to her helmet. Her visor showed a prompt that she instantly accepted. Moments later, her headset injected music into her ears. Her breathing became regular while her composure became cool as ice. "Lavendel Svane, launching to intercept!" She shouted confidently. Her boosters on her feet blasted her out of the Bullhead. As she exited, her Semblance went active while her eyes locked onto her target.

She flew up to speed quickly. Her afterburners were cranked up to eleven. The air pushed against her despite her aerodynamic form. She needed to go fast -faster than she ever achieved. Subsonic flight wasn't enough. Her visor placed the Fiamma a target in a small green box. Next to that box was the distance from her and the calculated speed along with his flight vector. ' _Just under supersonic…no deviation from the course…increasing speed. Could it be…?'_ She wondered. ' _I have to check._ ' One bolt flew straight at him. It got closer and closer to the point it came right at the Fiamma's face. At that moment, her target dove down. Moments later, he returned to his flight vector at faster speeds. 'Tunnel vision.' She analyzed. 'He's just flying by instinct; he's flying blind!' She focused on him. Countless bolts of light surrounded her.

" _Lavendel, do you have a shot?_ " Alabaster asked.

Her visor showed the green square turn red. "Affirmative!" She said as she increased the number of bolts. The song she listened to reached the chorus.

There was a pause. Lavendel knew her leader hesitated. She waited for the confirmation while she listened to her music. " _…Fire!_ "

The tempo raised, the volume rocketed, and the passion elevated to astronomical levels. Her focus was as sharp as a knife. Her mind was in the zone. Lavendel increased her speed as she fired her salvo. Streaks of light illuminated the night like shooting stars. She deemed the sheer number satisfactory. That amount alone was enough to shoot him down. She chased after her attacks, and danced among them as an offensive barrier. She weaved around her attacks easily as she watched the Fiamma refuse to deviate from his course.

In response, Lavendel felt a surge of power burst off of the target. "He sped up?! Can he even react in time with this amount coming at him?!" Her resolve to shoot him down didn't falter; it only became stronger as retaliation. The song only amplified that feeling. The bass created a rhythm for her to make her next move. She took some of her bolts, and made them split into multiple shots. They were smaller and faster with better homing capabilities. Her mind set the areas around the Fiamma as escape routes, so she sealed them off with her shots. Her larger shots barreled right at him as she made her next salvo the size of spears.

" _Blanket the sky, Lavendel!_ " River cheered.

The bolts of light fired off at high speeds.

The Fiamma only increased his speed, which resulted in a powerful shockwave. A sonic boom. Such speed was unheard of for the Valkyrie aerial division, where she hailed from before joining her current team. Even more surprising was the fact he moved minimally to dodge the shots. Most of her shots were a hair's width of hitting him; he danced around them without any effort. Even worse, he headed straight for her!

Alarms blared in her helmet to evade, but it was too late. A tackle forced her back. Inertia immediately went into effect. She felt the flying battering ram knock the air out of her. Her boosters failed to even slow down her target. She looked at him, his crown of flames blazing with the intensity of a wildfire while his eyes took the shade of a scorching sunset. His gauntlets were crossed with each palm facing backwards over his shoulder as it spewed fire to propel him to his current speed.

"I don't know why you're trying to stop me, Atlesian." He started off calmly. "But I'm going to stop that mech! I have people I care about fightin' that thing without any backup! Out of my way!" He snarled. He flipped backwards, then flew under her.

Lavendel stabilized herself, then turned around to watch Naruto's retreating form.

"Al…I'm sorry. He got past me." She said as she followed her team's Bullhead. "But my shots are still locked on him. Is that enough effort for pursuit?"

" _It should be._ " Her leader answered. " _The other teams are on the lookout right now. They should be able to knock him out. Team TLSM's sniper might be able to blast him out of the sky._ "

"Is that really okay?" Lavendel asked as she sped up to catch up to her team. "I understand the General wants him out of the way. Talon from TLSM can do that; however, I don't think shooting an armor-piercing round at supersonic speeds is acceptable in any sort of context." She paused for a moment. "Where's the morality in that?! The General asked us to capture an innocent!"

" _I don't like it either, Lavendel. I don't like it one bit._ " Alabaster admitted. " _The General is taking the lead too far on foreign soil. He can't not sit still and do nothing when something like this happens._ "

" _Can't blame him for things keeping him on edge._ " Braende spoke her mind.

"True enough." He said in response to Braende's words. " _Lavendel, just try to lower his altitude and slow him down. I'll try to make calls to the higher-ups to stop the order. Understood?_ "

"Roger!"

* * *

Pyrrha headed to the Headmaster's office with the intent to find out more from the situation while telling her part of the story. She saw -no…the whole world saw multiple streaks of light blanket the sky as it homed in on Naruto. She didn't understand why that happened. She didn't understand why the Atlesians fired at Naruto with what she considered overkill. In the elevator, she walked back and forth worried for Naruto's sake because he rushed towards trouble without a second thought. The soft hum of the elevator couldn't calm her nerves.

The elevator dinged to the Headmaster's office. It opened. Pyrrha was left stunned by the sight.

Pyrrha saw the new groundskeeper, Adam (which she heard from Blake in a short conversation a while ago), point the sharp edge of his sword at General Ironwood's throat. Not only that, but Naruto's boss did the same thing with his Yin sword with a wall of other swords floating behind him. Professor Goodwitch placed a glyph underneath the Headmaster of Atlas that paralyzed him in that one spot while behind her, Headmaster Ozpin looked at the General with disappointment.

"Detract the order _now_ , Ironwood." Adam ordered. "Let my lord do as he pleases! Let him save his friends!"

"And let him lead a ragtag band of unknowns?" Ironwood fired back. "I'm keeping the people of Vale _safe_!" He defended his actions. "And who am I to follow the orders of a _criminal_?! You can't force me to do anything!"

"Stop treating everything that you don't understand as a threat! Vale is safe from the White Fang and whoever they're working with as long as you don't…as long as you don't instigate anything!" The groundskeeper shouted at the General. "My lord wants _nothing_ to do with you Atlesians. All he wants is his friends." He reiterated. "You saw for yourself; the media is capturing the battle of one trainee team, RWBY, fighting a rogue Paladin. If your intelligence department knew anything, then its the fact that my lord has relations with that team. If they knew anything, then they would know that he, like his family, prioritize friends than power!" He pressed the blade onto the General's neck. "So don't test me when you try to twist the context into your favor!"

"Vale is screwed either way." The janitorial boss beside Adam spoke calmly. "The media captured what you essentially ordered to your students and army staff. At first they may have identified him as a fireball, but no simple fireball can just evade those attacks, and maneuver out of the way. I'm sure that at least one reported is looking at the video feed looking for a person, or in this case a Faunus in that fireball." He too pressed his blade on the General's neck. "They, and I mean the White Fang, know Naruto's true identity. They have no need to hide it since they hate his bloodline. But in this case, your order…essentially paints you as the bad guy. You shot at an innocent Faunus wanting to help! The media will also come to that conclusion as well once they identify him. This means that the White Fang has further fuel to ignite the rage of other Faunus now." His rusty brown eyes stabbed through Ironwood's composed expression like a sword. "And all because you want to save face for your obvious blunder."

"Then all the more reason why my army should stay." Ironwood said as calmly as possible. "They'll be a deterrent force should the White Fang do anything."

The news playing in the background gained attention in the silence after Ironwood's statement. " _I'm receiving additional information right now. According to radio chatter for the local police, there are supposedly four more of the new mech models, the Atlesian Paladins, running amok in the streets! They've been reported to be following the direction of the multiple streaks of light moments earlier that seemed to follow a fireball flying faster than the speed of sound!_ "

Every set of eyes not Ironwood's own locked onto him.

" _It seems they're meeting up with the first one, currently battling four students from what I assume to hail from Beacon Academy. Atlesian forces are mobilizing as we speak to destroy the threats. I will now stop communications, and let the scene speak for itself._ " The voice of the news reported was silenced, and the screen showed team RWBY's efforts to stop the rogue Paladin.

"James." Ozpin called. "Your actions are what will cause future events to spiral out of control into the enemy's favor." He stated bluntly before he took a sip of his coffee. "As people who hold power, we are bound by our own morality to manage that power responsibly -not abuse like you have brazenly done so." He walked towards his desk. "Extra security is generally not a problem." He said to start off his point. "Vale's council only allowed your army to enter because Atlas is the holder of Remnant's "Army". But now you are treating Vale as your backyard; you're ignoring Vale's laws in favor of your martial enforcement." He took a seat on his chair.

"What? I will not stand for this accusation, Ozpin!"

Ozpin ignored Ironwood's remark. "And furthermore…you didn't heed my warnings regarding the Fiamma."

Ironwood ignored the blades at his throat, and looked at Glynda immediately.

"She has been awfully patient throughout our civil discourse, and I feel sorry she couldn't speak her mind. You don't know how many comments of yours irked her to the point of breaking you into quarters." Ozpin said as he spun his coffee mug in small circular motions. "But as of this moment, it's not my problem, but yours. Glynda…you have the floor."

Glynda glared at Ironwood with the such intensity that the room felt several degrees colder. Her composure was certainly as sturdy as a wall compared to her previous interaction with the General. "Aside from saving face…what other reason do you have of shooting at the Fiamma? What reason is good enough to dissuade me from trying to kill you for your attempted assault on my late partner's heir?!" She chillingly interrogated.

"…None."

Nothing happened.

"Final question." Glynda said before she asked, "Any last words before I throw you out the window as a storm of icicles impale you?" She flicked her riding crop left and right as if she prepared to send Ironwood to the afterlife.

"Enough!" Pyrrha, lost in the background, let herself be known with a shout. Her warrior soul, exposed through her passion, was infuriated with the display. She stepped forward with heavy steps. "Naruto is out there fighting a threat while you're all here _bickering_ like children! Instead of clawing at each other, why not do something to fix this?!"

Silence brewed.

Until Glynda spoke up. "The only one who _can_ fix this is being as stubborn as a piece of metal."

Pyrrha looked at the General with disdain. "I care little of politics…but even I know that this won't bode well for you, General. I suggest you stop targeting my friend, and focus on being what you're meant to be: a leader of an army, not a leader of a nation you're not even a part of!" Her Aura flared in anger.

"Call off the order, James." Ozpin requested once more.

The General kept silent for a few minutes. He thought deeply on the matter. When he came to an answer, he said, "…Very well." Ironwood surrendered. Despite that, his restraints weren't released.

The janitor boss, Emiya, took out the General's Scroll. He tapped the screen a few times until he prompted a call to reach out to every single military member. It rang three times as he flipped the Scroll to make it face the General. The ringing stopped.

"This is General James Ironwood. To all personnel in pursuit or are on the lookout for Naruto Fiamma, stop. I hereby rescind that order in replacement of a new one." Everyone barring Ironwood tensed up. "Apprehend the pilots in the rogue Paladins. Capture them. Do not kill them. I want information. Understood?"

" _Sir, yes, sir!_ " Cried out the voices of thousands of men and women, young and old, in response to the order. The call ended immediately after the positive response was received.

Ironwood sighed. "Is that enough?"

"Yes." Ozpin replied. "Glynda, Taurus, Emiya, if you would kindly end hostilities?"

Glynda begrudgingly released her hold on the General whilst the two with their blades at the man's throat sheathed their weapons and stepped back.

"Now that that's been cleared up, I must take my leave. I have my job to do. I trust things will be resolved without my presence because I'm not one for politics either. My swords aren't stronger than the pen. After all, it's why I'm in the bottom of the hierarchy in this group." The silver-haired boss left with a wave and chuckle as if nothing happened.

Ozpin clapped his hands twice. "All right. Now that we've resolved this part of the problem, all that's left are the Paladins running amok in Vale." He sipped his coffee. "I'm sure that will be resolved quite easily."

Pyrrha watched with worry in her eyes. Glynda was still too furious to look at the screen in the middle of the room. Adam watched the scene play out with a hand on his sword. Ironwood was a wall that showed nothing on his face.

* * *

Team RWBY blitzed the Paladin Roman rode with everything they've got. Weiss and Blake's rapid slashes failed to scratch the surface of the metal. The most they could do was poke out a camera underneath the cockpit of the metal vessel. Ruby own combo with Blake were annoyances. They failed to cut through the thick metal on the legs or the arm they aimed for in a synchronized strike.

Yang took things to her own hand by mounting the back of the Paladin, and struck the exhaust system with her Ember Celica several times. She felt the mech jerk forward as if it was about to jump backwards. She flipped over to the front, facing the missile pods and a row of turrets that accompanied each pod. Yang instantly used the cockpit as a springboard, and jumped into a backflip as far back from the Paladin and as close to her team as possible.

Roman used that chance to lock on the blond that dealt some damage to his craft. He shot at the blond with the mech's cannons on its arms. The energy blasts caused little to no recoil on the mech's frame. Roman noticed this trait, and continued to fire along with the turrets and the leftover missiles in the pods. He watched the defenseless girl get juggled further and further up into the air, and farther away from him and the other brats.

Blake sprang into action. She didn't expect Roman to shoot Yang out of the air, and continue the barrage. She could do little for the turrets' shots, but the missiles were another matter. In broadsword mode, Gambol Shroud collected Blake's Aura. In turn, Blake slashed at the missiles, and let loose a broad wave of her Aura to obliterate the missiles.

Roman ground his teeth together. The Cat Faunus from months ago returned to be a pain in his ass. He looked at the system's available weapons, and found nothing new. Except the overload option for the mech's cannons. "Let's see if your pal can take this shot, Kitty Cat." He said with a malicious grin. The two cannons on the arms were placed closer together. In an uncharacteristic swiftness, metal moved, rotated, and restructured into one larger cannon. The energy, supplied by a large Dust engine, collected into a sphere inside the barrel of the cannon. A second later, Roman fired an energy blast half the size of the towering Paladin.

The blast only became closer and closer to Yang. Seconds later, the blast continued its path across the sky. It never hit anything. Roman took half a minute to comprehend what happened, and so did the rest of team RWBY. Roman took the chance to capitalize on the confusion by blasting at the remaining trio with the Paladin's cannon.

Yang didn't feel the multiple impacts that struck her body. Instead, she only felt the warmth of another body holding her firmly by her shoulders and the back of her knees. She fluttered her eyes open for a moment before it opened up like they were about to pop out of her skull. She noticed the lack of a sky road, a skyline, and the lack of a change in altitude.

"W-What? I'm in the air?"

"Still in the air to be exact." Yang turned to the person that held her.

"Naruto…" She said with awe.

"You took quite the beating." He remarked. "You up for some more fighting tonight?"

"You bet I do! My team is…" She looked down before she returned her gaze to Naruto. "My team is down there fighting that thing; they'll need help!"

"I'm glad to hear that." Naruto said then ended the sentence with a smile. It was a normal one. Yang couldn't help but be absolutely awestruck at his gentle, smiling face under the moon's rays. Oh, and the flaming crown too.

"When did you get that thing on your forehead?" She asked while pointing at it.

"It's my Semblance on full activation." Naruto replied. "All those times I fought after the shipyard incident, I've…held back. i don't know how much, but I can feel that I've held back."

"…But now you aren't holding back." Yang said softly. "Why is that?"

"You were in trouble!" He answered as if it was the most obvious thing. His eyes focused on Yang's expression, which was a slight hue of red. Slowly, he realized his response was too direct. He too blushed and looked away. "I-I mean y-you and your team…were in trouble. I couldn't ignore you guys!" He continued to rant on and on about how it was reckless of Yang and her team to rush into trouble without a second thought.

Yang stopped him by slamming her forehead into Naruto's. "Enough!" She said. "You sound like Dad."

"Well if it means being worried sick, then of course I sound like your Dad." He said. "If I hadn't caught you before the cannon blast struck you, I'm not sure what the impact caused by the ground would do to you."

"Naruto…I'm fine." Yang reassured him. "It'll take more than that to stop me, you know." Her hair lit up in response to her battle-ready self. "My fists are ready! With this much power I got because of those hits I-" She stopped when she felt a familiar warmth touched her leg. She looked at Naruto's right hand, and saw his flames flickered from orange to a sparkling yellow. "Your fire's changing, Naruto."

"…Your hair's sharing the same effect." He said. "It's sparkling more and more. So bright…" He remarked. "It…it looks like you were chosen." He muttered.

She heard his words. "Chosen? What?"

He looked down below, where the fighting was. There were more Paladins. "I don't have time to explain." He said with newfound urgency. "I promise I'll tell you after we get through this, but for now…" He tossed Yang up slightly to catch her by her thighs with his left hand. He unhooked his right arm from Yang's legs, and reached out to the chains that held the rings. He fumbled a few times, but managed to retrieve it. He showed Yang the Sun ring. "Just take this and wear it, okay?"

Silence.

"…" Yang's face was red.

"…" Even redder.

"…What?" Naruto finally asked.

"Aren't you moving a bit too fast?" Yang said with a surprisingly meek voice. "I mean we've only been a thing for a couple of months." Inside her head however, she laughed maniacally. Naruto fueled her responses.

Naruto once again blushed. "A-Are you kidding me?! Now? Of all times, you choose to tease me now?" He shook his head. "Fine, I'll just force it on you!" He placed the Sun ring in his left hand, then moved Yang's thighs over to Naruto's right hand. His left hand tugged at Yang's right, and placed the ring on her middle finger. "There! It's on the wrong hand and on the wrong finger. Any more misunderstanding lines you want to embarrass me with?!" He said in a panic.

Yang resisted the urge to laugh. "I still think you're asking me to marry you. If so, when's our wedding?" She asked oh so innocently.

Naruto instantly imagined Yang in a wedding dress with her face barely hidden by the translucent veil. Her veil lifted, Yang showed her beauty enhanced by her mischievous grin. He watch those lips move as she made her vows, and ended with the words, "I do."

The male blond couldn't get any redder. He had to shake his head to regain his composure. When he did, he looked at her. "We're wasting time. I'm chucking you at the Paladins."

The playful atmosphere instantly broke. Yang couldn't finish her thought, which was, "Wait…WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" as Naruto chucked her down like a meteor. As soon as he did that, he chased after her.

"I'm sorry, but your team's outgunned and outmanned!" Naruto shouted against the roaring winds.

"You could have warned me, you know!" Yang yelled back.

He smirked. "I could, but I didn't!" He retorted. "Call it payback for your teasing just now!"

"This is hardly equal in intensity to my teasing!"

"…" He didn't say a thing for five seconds. "Now that I think about it, you're right! My bad!"

Yang gave Naruto a playful frown. "…I'm _seriously_ evaluating our relationship right now!"

"You know you don't mean that, Sunshine!" Naruto shouted back.

"That's my new nickname?" She asked.

However, Naruto didn't answer. He was more focused down below, where he looked at where they were expecting to land. Team RWB(Y) was surrounded by the Paladins. Just above the trio were Bullheads armed with turrets providing covering fire and other trainee Huntsmen and Huntresses joining in. It helped a little bit, but while they weren't alone in terms of allies, not much happened for either side of the fight. The Huntsmen and Huntresses were too resilient to take down in one go while the Paladins were too defensive to be dismantled.

He said, "Right now, your team is in trouble. So let's do what we came here to do…"

The ground became closer and closer. Each blond cocked a fist, and pooled their Aura. Yang did it out of reflex, but she knew she never tried this technique. She felt something guided to do the action. She followed it because impact time was imminent.

One Bullhead pilot noticed the duo blonds' descent, and activated the loudspeaker immediately. " _HEADS UP! BRACE FOR IMPACT!_ "

"-AND SMASH!" Their fists collided with one of the Paladins on site. Each tore through the metal like it wasn't there, and continued their descent onto the ground, where it exploded because of the two fists that struck it. The entirety of Vale shook from the seismic activity. By no means was it ever dangerous; they were small tremors that barely toppled a house of cards. Still, it was present. Dust clouds pillared over the highway above the battlefield. Anyone viewing the battle was completely blinded from whatever chaos went on. In ground zero, the fighters stuck there stumbled and fell from the sudden impact. Team RWB(Y) was among the affected. After the jolt, nearly everyone inside the impact zone gawked at the crater made.

In the dust, Naruto and Yang pulverized mechanical limbs as if they were clay. Metal bent into the shape of either Naruto or Yang's fists. They clearly held back. Everyone knew they did. No one just lost the power to make a gigantic crater. Streaks of red and yellow glowed throughout the duration of the cloud's appearance whilst the sounds of broken circuitry and metal were tossed around the battlefield. Naruto all the while moved along the surface of the ground as if he danced instead of fought. Each 'step' led into an attack that damaged or disabled a piece of a Paladin. No movement was wasted from each 'step' because he moved with his 'partner'.

A Paladin threw it large mechanical fist at him, and he simply stepped to the side while he backhanded the fist with a small burst of fire from his palms. He dashed forward, seemingly glided across the surface, and raised a leg boosted by flames. The upward kick connected with the Paladin's left knee joint with an astonishingly explosive impact that bent the knee backwards to its breaking point, which toppled the mech over on its side.

Yang in contrast was more straightforward to the point her punches exploded like a star. She grew accustomed to the Aura exercise of amplifying her attacks. She because so attuned to the method that she didn't hold back anymore. Few pieces flew out of the cloud at speeds so fast one had to wonder what she did used to get that much strength at such a short time. Because never had they seen Yang dismember limbs with a punch. A Paladin attempted to kick her. She threw an overhead punch, and made the limb explode like metal confetti.

In the middle of it all, Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and the rest who helped them stood flabbergasted at the pure destruction caused by powerhouses of a different and higher level than most juggernaut types of Huntsmen or Huntresses achieved through years of training and experience in the field. Ruby in particular was in awe because of Naruto's growth in strength in such a rapid pace. The weakling Naruto thought he was wasn't present anymore. Not with how each brutal strike on the mechs could easily cripple a regular Huntsman or Huntress both experienced and trainee. Weiss wasn't that impressed considering anything she had to say about Naruto, something in the end always managed to correct her statement. She did like the additional help. One was a bit of a hassle considering the defenses it had. Meanwhile, Blake's eyes were wide as saucers. She looked at Yang's Aura along with the newest feature, the twinkles of light that come off every now and then, and concluded that her lord chose Yang as his Sun Guardian. She expected it, but she didn't want to blitz by such information at this moment in time.

"Well they're certainly having fun." Weiss commented. She turned to Ruby. "What say you, leader? Should we help?"

"Of course!" Ruby answered. "Everyone, listen! Jump just before my partner here stabs the ground! Understand?" She received verbal confirmation, then said, "Weiss, Arctic Dungeon maneuver!"

Weiss wasted no time, and immediately stabbed her sword, Myrtenaster, down on the uneven ground. The area around the trio froze instantly. The unfortunate Paladins that made contact with the ice froze from the foot all the way to the exhaust. Thankfully, Naruto and Yang, and the rest of the allied forces were airborne the moment the ground turned into ice. Weiss collapsed to her knees at the exhausting move. To keep herself from passing out, she leaned on her sword as she watched Naruto and Yang tore off limb after limb with but a simple punch or kick.

' _They've become ridiculously strong. It's unfair to the rest of us. Share some of that!_ ' Weiss thought to herself while her face showed a deadpan expression throughout the duration of the one-sided beatdown.

"Thanks for the assist!" Yang shouted as she pummeled the remaining Paladin's limbs off of the main frame of the mech. She landed on the ice, and slipped backwards. Her arms flailed to attempt recovery. Naruto stood by her, and caught her before she truly fell. She thanked him for the save, and got her footing in place.

Meanwhile, Naruto counted the number of Paladins destroyed. ' _One…two…three…four…_ ' His mental counting stopped. His fists clenched. His eyes darted left and right. His feet shuffled back slightly. ' _Neo…not this again._ ' He thought to himself. ' _They got away again!_ ' He kept walking backward until he met a wall. An invisible wall. He quickly turned around, and kicked that wall full force. The sound of broken glass and crushed ice filled the silence caused by the aftermath of battle. "…Roman." He muttered as he stared into the empty cockpit of the Paladin.

"Naruto? How did you know it was there?" Yang asked from behind. The blonde brawler's glowing golden hair returned to its natural state.

"I bumped into it." Naruto replied without breaking his gaze from the empty Paladin.

"Roman got away again." Yang observed.

"Uhuh…" He scratched his head, where the flames died out. "Gave us the slip once again." He groaned out. The blond Faunus turned around, and shrugged his shoulders. "He'll be back." He said with optimism. "And when the times comes, I'll bash his face until he begs to be put in prison for what he's done."

"Sheesh. When did you go all gung-ho when it came to Huntsman and Huntress business?" Yang questioned as she grabbed Naruto in a playful chokehold. "Is my Firecracker finally aspiring to be a Huntsman? Is he? Is he?" She poked his cheeks several times. Naruto didn't like that, and struggled out of her grasp.

The dust cloud that hung over the battlefield was blown away by the engines of landing Bullheads. Naruto's struggling stopped because he observed each one closely. Among the multiple vessels that landed, Naruto noticed one that carried the flying Atlesian because of the identification number on the side of the vessel's hull. His suspicions were confirmed when the Atlesian came out of that exact Bullhead along with the rest of the team.

When they came closer to him, Naruto broke himself out of Yang's grasp. He stepped forward. "The heck are you doin' here, Atlesian? Come to finish the job?" He questioned in a hostile tone as he confronted the blond flyer. When he got no answer, he walked away. "Fine then. Keep your mouths shut when you know you're in the wrong. That's the basic Atlesian demonstration of your pride, I hear."

"Hey! You take that back!" A female voice, the one in the wetsuit yelled. "That was uncalled for!"

"And me getting shot at for no reason was?!" Naruto turned around with snarling expression at the one who made the remark. The team in front of him flinched into a loose battle-ready stance. "I came here to help my friends and my girlfriend. Is that a crime?" He rhetorically asked. "I'm an idiot when it comes to the law." He said sincerely. "I don't know how laws are made; I don't know how they're brought to the public to follow; heck, I don't even know how the Councilors get their positions, but I'm sure that there's no law that prevents me from helping those I care for if they're in terrible danger."

The Atlesian flyer spoke up calmly. Hands behind the back, the flyer said, "You're a civilian in restricted airspace. Those shots were meant to lower your altitude, and force you to land. You-" The explanation was cut off.

Naruto grabbed the Atlesian by the breastplate of the aerodynamic armor. "That's a lie, and you know it." He stated boldly. He pulled the Atlesian's face closer until he butted heads with the person he grabbed onto. "Those shots were meant to shoot me down. To knock me out or worse. The numbers alone told me you went for overkill!" Naruto's grip tightened, and started to bend the armor's shape. "So why don't you tell me the truth!" He persuaded with a vicious tone.

The Atlesian's partner stepped up. "My partner here merely-"

Naruto's eyes locked onto the one who spoke up. "I'm not talking to you, Tin Can! I'm talking to your partner here!" He shouted. Before he could lash out at the one he held onto, he felt a hand hold him back.

"Enough, Naruto." Yang said. "Let me talk with them." She pulled him back while she stepped forward. Her gaze rested on the brown-haired young man in white armor. "You were saying?"

"We were ordered by our General to apprehend Mr. Uzumaki." He said truthfully. "However, my partner's shots, while overkill at first glance, were meant to be concussive shots that merely hindered him, not actually kill him."

"And if they landed, don't you think the crash landing would have _killed_ him instead?" Yang questioned. It was her turn to get right in front of one of the Atlesians. In this case, it was the leader. She pulled on the leader's collar, and butted her head against his. The brash girl in the wetsuit stepped forward to defend her leader, but was held back by the final teammate. "Did you even _think_ for a second what following those orders meant? He could have died even with Aura shielding!"

"We have assumed that would be a possibility." The leader replied. "We deemed the order unjustified. Unfortunately, we only did so after Mr. Uzumaki escaped from us." His response was met with a left hook to the face. The leader tipped over from the impact, but maintained enough balance to not completely topple over. The headstrong girl in the back tried to get in on the action, but was held back once again. The leader recovered, and looked at Yang blankly. He stared at her furious expression. "…Our orders were screwed up to begin with." He said. "Either we followed and be reprimanded by the Valean Council for the order given to us because of unjustified arrest of an individual; or we ignore the order and be reprimanded by our General for insubordination."

"Both of which would likely strip us of our status, then return us to civilian life or, worst case scenario, prison time." Lavendel added.

Both sides fell into silence.

"The General seems to be more unreasonable that I thought." Naruto spoke up. "If that's the problem, then I've got no beef with you, but your General instead."

The Atlesian team looked alarmed. The leader asked, "You're going to confront the General?"

Naruto lost any hostile tone in his voice, and shrugged his shoulders. "Well now that I know you didn't do it just for kicks, then the problem is your General, who got you into the mess in the first place." He cracked his knuckles. "It's your General who I'm mad at." He said. He offered a hand to the Atlesian team. "My bad…for putting your the spot."

"Sorry for nearly decking you." Yang said to the Atlesian leader as a follow-up to Naruto's apology.

"We kind of deserved it." The redhead of the team spoke out. "Leader here and his partner are the more…by the book with orders. Leader is an rule-abiding officer in the army. While he is that, he's also in tune with his moral conduct. But…the General's order is quite difficult to ignore with morals alone. Lavendel is more of a reluctant follower when it comes to orders. She doubted it, but still went on and attacked you." She explained bluntly. "Though that isn't to say that my teammates are completely robots. Alabaster here looked conflicted about the order; it was all over his face." She pointed to her leader, who looked down in shame for not following his gut earlier. "After you escaped, these two truly questioned the order since your motive was clear and didn't potentially endanger any other innocents."

"Still doesn't change the fact that we were hostile to ya for reasons that weren't obvious without talking it out." Naruto said. His hand, still offered, stayed and waited.

"I don't believe we have the right to shake your hand after what we did to you." Alabaster spoke as he looked at the friendly gesture. "It's shameful to think that we are on perfect terms just from this conversation." He looked up to face the Fiamma. "Maybe one day we'll be able to shake your hand, but for now an apology is the only thing my team can accept." The team leader turned around, and left. "May we meet again on better circumstances." They boarded their Bullhead, and returned to Beacon.

Naruto lowered his right hand. "I hope so." He turned around to look at Yang. "Well…that was a thing."

Yang nodded. "Who knew the General could be so unreasonable…"

"He might have reasons for it, but I don't think I'll like those reasons." Naruto spoke his thoughts about the General. He changed the subject. "Let's go to your team, shall we?"

When the duo of blonds reunited with the rest of team RWBY, the latter questioned what the violent conversation was about. Naruto explained that they'd know once they got back to Beacon for a full explanation without others eavesdropping.

* * *

Back at Beacon, Naruto explained the events before he got to the team. He was mostly calm about the recollection. It appeared it was in the heat of the moment that his anger rose. Or it was the fact that he wasn't mad against the team, but rather mad against the one who placed the order. After retelling the events, he said, "And there you have it."

"…Scum." Blake commented.

"Blake! That's the General you're talking about!" Weiss was appalled by the comment.

"Still doesn't change the fact he gave the order to attack and apprehend Naruto. For what reason?" She asked Weiss.

"I don't know." Weiss admitted. "But you should at least calm down."

"I agree!" Ruby joined in. "Blake, you're being too serious again."

"…Fine." She reluctantly kept her mouth shut.

"I think I know why he targeted me." Naruto said. The team perked up. He looked at Yang. "It also relates to the ring, and you being 'chosen' and all…"

Blake let her tongue slip out. "Y-You mean…"

Weiss stared at Blake. "You know something we don't, Blake?"

"Blake. Ruby. I'll need help with the explanation." Naruto said. The sentence shocked the elder sister and the Schnee. "I feel like I might stumble on some parts, and Blake, you know about the history than I do, so I'll need help with that."

"Of course." Blake and Ruby said in sync.

Naruto sat down in the middle of the room on the floor. Blake and Ruby to his sides; the former to his left while the latter to his right. The male blond took a deep breath before starting. "Let me properly introduce myself. My name is Naruto Fiamma, and I'm the rightful leader of the White Fang."

 ** _And end. How's this? Hopefully this chapter sets up a difference from the canon quite significantly. And yay! My OCs have relevance without hijacking the plot! And now we go into Naruto revealing his background to team RWBY (what's left of them)._**

 ** _So review, follow, favorite, I don't care._**

 ** _This is Azure signing off._**


	33. A Simple Morning

**_New chapter coming up!_**

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 29: A Simple Morning

 _"_ _My name is Naruto Fiamma, and I'm the rightful leader of the White Fang." He said. "I'm the son of the previous White Fang leader that died five years ago. And my Semblance and skills were supposed to reflect that. It's probably why there's so much White Fang activity around here." He scratched his head in embarrassment._

* * *

Yang opened her eyes, and sat up from her bed. She looked at her right hand, where the ring's golden hexagonal gem shone from the sun's light. ' _So it wasn't a joke…I'm a Guardian. And he's the true leader of the White Fang by blood…_ ' She clasped her left over her right hand. ' _…I'll do all in my power to help, Naruto._ ' She thought decisively.

* * *

 _"_ _You're not mad? Either of you?" He asked both of them._

 _"_ _I had a hunch. A very big hunch supported by various sources." Weiss said vaguely; her face didn't show she hated him. "Though I didn't pursue it since it was your secret to tell."_

 _Naruto stared at Yang. "And how about you, Yang? Are you okay...with this information?" He asked hesitantly._

 _Yang sat in front of him, crossed her arms, and tilted her head back. She thought of what to say. The silence lasted quite a bit. "My partner's Ex-White Fang. You think I'll get pissed and want to cut ties with you immediately when I didn't with her? Stupid." She said so simply. "Is that why you didn't immediately tell me -to us?"_

 _"…_ _Yeah."_

 _She smacked his forehead with a right straight._

 _"_ _Yang!" Both Ruby and Blake shouted in surprise._

 _"_ _Idiot!" Yang said to Naruto while she kept her right fist raised. "You know just how supportive I was when it came to some of your problems, and you couldn't come clean with this one?" Her eyes turned red. "Is that what that letter was about? You couldn't trust me with that information?" She questioned seriously._

 _"_ _I couldn't trust myself!" Naruto answered truthfully. "I acknowledged the fact that you were there in times of need. Especially personal ones, Yang. You helped me out a lot, and I can't thank you enough for that." He rubbed his forehead with his right palm. "Still, I felt too uncomfortable revealing this to you because I couldn't trust myself to handle the consequences that came after my reveal." He cleared his throat, and simplified his words. "I don't know if I could handle giving you that much information in one go."_

* * *

Yang turned around at the sound of rustled blankets. A small groan came out. She watched her little sister woke up with a strained yawn. the little sister took off her sleep mask, and placed it on the bed while she rubbed her eyes with one hand. "You're up early." Yang said out of the blue.

"Mmm…Yang? W-Wha?" She turned her head to face the elder sister. "You're up early too." She rubbed her eyes again, but vigorously this time. "I've gotta be dreaming!" She exclaimed. Done, she looked again at Yang, who was still awake. "You're awake! No way!" A pillow was thrown her way.

"Not so loud, Rubes."

Ruby threw the pillow back, but not at her sister. Yang watched the pillow plopped back onto her bed. "Sorry…but it's really weird that you're awake this early. On a weekend of all things." Yang was far too focused on the ring in her right hand. "…You're still registering all of what happened last night?"

* * *

 _"_ _You didn't tell me because you couldn't take the possible consequences that might have happened?"_

 _"_ _I'm sorry. I'm really sorry…" Naruto looked down in shame. "I shouldn't have hid it from you for this long, but even so, could you confidently say that you wouldn't lash out at me for revealing my identity if I'd told you earlier?"_

 _Yang combed the right side of her hair with her hands. Her left hand's fingers tapped repeatedly on her left thigh. "But with what's happened for a few months, I think we would be a bit more understanding about the situation." Yang said as a response._

 _"_ _Yang…you have to understand that Naruto didn't know this until a couple of months ago. He didn't plan for this to happen." Blake stepped forward to reason with her partner. "All he knew was that he was an orphan living the life of a janitor making ends meet; he didn't expect to be the leader of a corrupt group!"_

 _"_ _I do understand." Yang said as she looked at Naruto. "I just didn't understand why you didn't say it once you found out until just now."_

 _"_ _There's also the fact that me and Weiss are pretty much…" Naruto paused, and looked at Weiss. "How would you consider our relationship, Weiss?"_

 _"_ _Friends." Weiss said without hesitation. "Is that another reason why you held back? You didn't want to ruin our developing friendship because of my family's ongoing conflict with the White Fang?"_

 _He nodded. "_ _Pretty much, yeah." Naruto answered._

 _"_ _I see…" Weiss took a deep breath. "I admire your consideration, but it's like you said, Naruto. If both races want to coexist, there's a need for communication. And I'm willing to communicate to the world that you're not like the White Fang the world knows now."_

 _"…_ _Thank you." He said to the calm heiress. "Yang, can we move on to what's more important?"_

 _"_ _You mean the ring, and being 'chosen'? Sure." She brandished her ring to Naruto. "What's this thing supposed to do for me? What does it mean to be chosen? I've felt something change, but nothing too drastic. Care to explain?"_

* * *

Yang nodded wordlessly. She jumped down from her bunk, and gathered a towel, and a change of clothes. "I'm going to take a shower to get myself to think clearly."

"Okay. You go do that…" Ruby said with her voice eventually ended in a whisper. Her half-lidded eyes snapped open as she stared at the room's bathroom. ' _What a terrible day…_ ' Ruby thought morbidly.

Yang entered the bathroom, and undressed herself. Her orange crop tank top easily came off with her fantastic assets bouncing up and down slightly from gravity's pull. Next, her black boyshorts came off. She looked at the ring, and decided to keep it on. She placed her evening clothes off to the side of the sink counter, and looked at her body. ' _I haven't changed physically._ ' She commented about herself as she scanned her hair, shoulders, arms, breasts, abdomen, waist, and legs. ' _So it really just must be combat abilities that are new. And the hair…_ ' She wrapped a towel around herself, then faced the shower curtain.

* * *

 _"_ _I don't know how I chose you, but you were chosen." Naruto said. "My Semblance is…strange." A bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. "I have nine different flames," He said as his right hand cycled through the colored flames. "-all have different properties, and I can provide a Guardian one of my flames to use provided if they're compatible."_

 _Yang tried to call out that flame but failed. Even though she failed, she could remember what it looked like. "_ _My flame…"_

 _"_ _Your flame is the Sun flame, which specializes in enhancing the body, healing, and other physical support roles." Blake answered. She stepped forward, and went in front of Yang to examine the ring."In your case, your flame allows you to run faster than you usually are, punch stronger, and take more hits; all of which you've experienced tonight." She said. "I doubt you'd care about healing when you're the juggernaut of the team."_

 _"_ _That's it? Physical enhancement?" Yang questioned. She whistled, and gave a thumbs up. "I like it."_

 _"_ _Now for your role…"_

* * *

Yang opened the shower curtain.

* * *

 _"_ _You will destroy the misfortune that attacks the family with your own body, and become the Sun that brightly shines upon an area." Blake smirked at her partner. "I'd say it fits you perfectly."_

* * *

Yang, still half-asleep, realized there was something in the tub. She rubbed her eyes to get a clearer image. The once blurry image became clear, and instantly she scrambled towards the sink with her back to the mirror.

Naruto slept at the tub with a pillow -one of Ruby's pillows, and slept soundly.

Yang scanned him. His white tank top hiked up to his chest, and revealed his lean, but toned abdomen that seemed to glow in Yang's eyes. Moving up, she stared at his arms, ripped from years of manual labor and training. Even further up, she looked at his gentle, yet sculpted face, half hidden by hair that was less wild than before. She couldn't help but look at two distinct spikes of hair persistently standing alert. She investigated, and waited. It twitched. Yang stepped back again. ' _Cat ears?! And better camouflaged too!_ ' Her thoughts were broken when she heard Naruto groaned and moved slightly. He moved his body away from the source of light; his back shielded himself. He groaned again, but this time, Yang's ears were more alert to the sound he made. The baritone sound that came from his throat suspiciously sounded like a cat's purr. She inspected him, who twitched every now and then. Without any thought, she gently placed the back of her hand to Naruto's cheek. She got a response immediately. Naruto nuzzled his cheek against her hand. ' _What illusion is this? What happened to my handsome Firecracker? He's supposed to be badass and gentlemanly, not downright adorable!_ '

"Ah…warmmunya~" He muttered while she rubbed his cheek gently. He turned himself around, and faced Yang, but he was still asleep. Yang flipped her hand, and cupped his cheek while rubbing it. Naruto's ears twitched vigorously. He groaned again. She persisted on the action until she heard Naruto purred at her touch. "Mmm...~" Yang realized Naruto took a fetal position, and noticed his blanket was off of him too far. He shivered against the cold surface of the tub. She remedied that, and lowered his top then placed the blanket up to his neck to shield him from the cold.

She wore her evening clothes again, and came out the bathroom panting quite heavily. ' _He's dangerous… Absolutely dangerous._ '

"Yang? Are you okay?" Ruby asked as she poked her head out of her bunk.

"Yeah, why?"

"You're drooling. A lot." Ruby said. "Your face is really red too. Are you just really hungry, or is that a fever?"

Yang shook her head with the intent to shake away the ominous effects Naruto bestowed on her due to his actions in the bathroom. "I...I-I think I'll just get some more rest for now. It's still too early to be awake for the weekend." She went up to her bunk, and layed down on her bed. Her mind wandered once more to what transpired last night.

* * *

 _"Hey, Ruby, what's your part in all this?" Yang asked._

 _"...I'm a new Guardian!" Ruby said_ _ecstatically. "I'm the Night Guardian; I can teleport!"_

 _"Night?" Yang repeated. "Is that right? What are the names of the other flames?"_

 _Ruby counted with her fingers, and said, "Sky, Rain, Lightning, Sun, Cloud, Mist, Storm."_

 _"...You didn't say 'Night'." Yang observed._

 _"I'm a new Guardian." Ruby reiterated. "Naruto's Semblance..." The young leader stumbled on what word to use._

 _"Evolved." Blake suggested._

 _Ruby had a lightbulb moment. "Thanks, Blake!" She told her teammate. "Yeah, Naruto's Semblance evolved, and now instead of seven, there's nine. I'm the Night Guardian, which is one of the new flames. The other is the Moon Guardian, who controls gravity to some extent. So far, aside from us two, Cloud and Lightning roles are filled."_

 _Satisfied with her questions for Ruby, she looked to Naruto. "So you're telling me, that the White Fang hates your bloodline."_

 _"Uhuh." Naruto nodded._

 _"You had no idea you were the heir because you were sent to an orphanage the moment you were born."_

 _"Yeeeeep." He drawled._

 _"Turns out you've got an awesome hereditary Semblance you can give to seven people -er nine in your case, in order to help you out and help your cause of peaceful coexistence between Humans and Faunus."_

 _"Exactly." Naruto said. "Though...I'm not really feeling the family agenda right now. Probably because I wasn't taught of it as a kid."_

 _Yang didn't comment on that, and chose to continue her summarization of the things said to her. "And so far, only Ruby and I are your Guardians, but you've selected others, that you didn't realize you've picked out." Yang stopped for a moment to scratch her head. "I'm all okay with that for starters, but what makes you such a threat to the General?" Her eyes twitched from red to normal lilac back and forth. "I have no idea why he's doing that in the first place."_

 _Weiss cleared her throat. "Am I to assume that the General's motives stem from the War and the Mantle Anarchy Period after?"_

 _"The what?"_

 _"History, my dear teammate." Weiss said smugly. "Professor Oobleck would be disappointed in you."_

 _"...Watch your mouth, Ice Queen."_

 _"Hey!"_

 _"And what do you know of it, Weiss?" Blake questioned._

 _Weiss crossed her arms, and smirked proudly at the instance of displaying her knowledge. "The White Fang caused the Mantle Anarchy Period, where they terrorized the whole of the continent after eliminating the governing people of Mantle."_

 _"False." Blake said._

 _Weiss continued to keep her smug expression. "I know." She said. However, her smugness didn't last long. What replaced it was disappointment. "The information is there, but jumbled up courtesy of Atlas altering the information. My older sister, Winter, barely talked about it, but I wised up after these couple of months, and connected the dots. Along with some help." She crossed her arms. "After the war, Mantle's governing body was forcefully impeached after Fiamma Primo, Naruto's grandfather, and his group revealed the corruption in Mantle. They humiliated the Council, the judicial branch, etcetera and eventually burned them for their crimes against the country. Many were for the immolation; however, the following period of anarchy caused major distrust of the continent's martial powers. The army Mantle once boasted was in shambles because they fled, became traitors, or were assassinated among other things." Weiss took a deep breath. "Among the assassinated was Marshall Hatchet Ironwood."_

 _"...What?" Yang, Ruby, and even Naruto uttered in surprise._

* * *

Yang sat up on her bed when she heard Blake left her bed. But being the swift and smooth cat she always was, Blake was already at the door of the bathroom before Yang could tell her to stop. Yang feared the worst outcome possible, and waited for the shriek that never came. Instead, not even a minute later, Blake exited the bathroom calmly, and sat down on her bed.

"Are you okay, Blake?"

"Good morning, Ruby. Yes, I'm fine." She said. "Why shouldn't I be?"

"...Your nose is bleeding."

Blake touched her nostrils, and felt her wet fingertips. She pulled it away for a moment, and indeed saw the blood. "So it is... Thanks, Ruby." She stood up. "I'll go wash up right now." She walked towards the bathroom again. But instead, Ruby stopped her. The young leader offered her a box of tissues; an offer she couldn't refuse without looking suspicious. In the end, she accepted it not because of the mentioned reason, but because the image was already burned into memory.

Yang didn't know whether or not to be proud that Naruto was an unintentional lady killer. She shook her head to return back to her thoughts of last night's talk. All the while, she practiced manifesting the flames Naruto gave to her.

* * *

 _"Wow...I just thought he hated me because I was the next leader of the White Fang. This just says a lot of things." Naruto said calmly._

 _"Technically, no one knows who assassinated the leader of Mantle's army. Whether it was because of the chaos, confusion, or because no one paid attention, nobody ever claimed to killing the Marshall."_

 _"Who would?" Blake countered. "Taking the credit would be a death sentence."_

 _"Running away also leaves some suspicion as well you know..." Weiss returned fire. Blake flinched. Both knew that statement was true. "The White Fang, when it started, left Mantle_ voluntarily _during the Anarchy Period. Who_ wouldn't _think they were the culprits of some crime?"_

 _The black-haired young woman shifted back uneasily. "I've been meaning to ask...how do you know all this?" Blake asked. "As far as I can tell, Remnant's textbooks painted the White Fang from the start as the instigators of that event, and caused massive destruction and destabilization of the continent."_

 _Weiss reached for her ponytail to groom it with her fingers. "You're not wrong, but you have to remember that it was the reason of the event that was lost to the world. It's common knowledge that the White Fang started it; the rest was altered slightly to suit Atlas's needs." She watched Blake's blank look before she continued. "As for how I know..." She paused. Her expression told everything: she was uncomfortable. "I called my father about a month or two ago to learn more about the White Fang."_

 _Naruto grew curious. "Why would your dad know anything about them?"_

 _"My/Her dad was friends with your dad." The whole team responded in sync._

 _"..." Naruto coughed. "W-What?"_

 _Weiss coughed too. "It's just as we said. My father wasn't a Schnee by birth, but an orphan that married into the Schnee family." She explained. "However, his time as an orphan was time spent with the White Fang. Time spent being friends -best friends- with your father, Naruto." Weiss looked Naruto in the eye. "From him, I learned that he lived rather peacefully with the people in the White Fang. The community that the organization lived in was not once attacked by any Faunus; neither did Humans attack. In return for peaceful coexistence, the community hid them from the world while the White Fang taught the people their history as well as how to fight."_

 _"...This community...are you implying you know the whereabouts of the White Fang Head Quarters? You know about the Den in Verdant village?"_ _Yang and Ruby snickered a little. Blake glared. "Something funny to you two?"_

 _"The name is just...so cliché. Why can't be something even more ridiculous like 'The Domain of Fangs' or something?"_

 _Blake appeared to want to strangle them, but was reigned in by Naruto's silent glare. She composed herself, and said, "The name is as it is because when one thinks of a den, either it's the den of an animal, herd, etcetera that is local to the area, or a place where Grimm frequent. Fiamma Primo named it deliberately not only to pander to our animalistic traits, but to also hide us from the world should Humans seek to kill us." The Cat Faunus turned to Weiss, "Well, Weiss? Do you know where they are?"_

 _"...I don't think revealing the head quarters of a terrorist_ _organization is wise." Weiss explained. "But yes, I vaguely know where they are. I also know that Verdant village isn't what it used to be. At least from what I could get from his expression alone." Blake slumped her head in shame. Weiss explained that, "I'd venture a guess that they, the White Fang, turned on the Humans that kept them hidden; they either killed them, or were forced to work for them." Blake shivered at Weiss's words. "If possible, those loyal to the White Fang were treated as lower than dirt."_

 _Naruto closed in eyes, and appeared to be in deep thought._

* * *

Yang, Blake, and Ruby craned their heads when they heard Weiss got up from her bed. The blonde was conflicted; she didn't know if she needed to stop Weiss, or watch her reaction. Blake prepared her ears for anything out of the ordinary. Ruby wondered if Weiss would fall victim to whatever Yang and Blake saw in the bathroom, where Naruto slept in for the night. The three noticed that Weiss fixed her bed, then grabbed her Scroll just before she took her towel. Yang and Blake in particular forgot that Weiss was fond of listening to music when taking a shower. The partners thought on the same wavelength.

' _Something tells me that the Scroll won't be playing any music._ ' They thought in sync.

Weiss remembered Naruto slept in the bathroom. In fact, the only reason she went into the bathroom was to look and see if he was okay. When she opened the curtain, she was quite surprised to see him in a nearly undressed state with the blanket shoved off to his legs. She couldn't help but ogle at him for a few seconds. Her face gained a small hue of pink. She slapped her face firmly; It was unbecoming of an heiress like her to submit to her carnal desires for that one moment. She looked at him once more, and judged his appearance to a slumbering beast, chaotic but relatively calm. His back leaned on the curve of the tub. It made him look like he sat down before he slept. And from what Weiss could tell, he looked comfortable enough.

She sat down at the tub's edge, and waited for him to wake up. He was disturbed three times, including hers, but he had yet to wake up. The rattling of the metal rings on the curtain was enough to make any person or Faunus wake up. Yet, not once did he stir. Curious, she scooted herself closer to him carefully. The Faunus in front of her looked so peaceful. Slowly, her hand reached out to pet his head. The moment her hands touched his hair, she gushed at the new sensation at the palm of her hands. ' _So soft...like fur._ ' She continued to fiddle with Naruto's hair until she felt something different -more solid- than the strands of hair that her hands glided through. ' _...Cute. He has cat ears._ ' She fondled the ears gently; she got a small reaction from the Faunus. She didn't stop. Naruto groaned and shivered at her touch.

"...Cold." He muttered while he shied away from her.

Weiss pulled back her hands. She pouted. Her hands weren't cold at all. Still...if it disturbed his sleep, she was willing to stop. "I shouldn't disturb him..." She said to herself. Despite her words, she wanted to pet him again. "But his hair has...a calming effect. No I can't do that to him..." Her internal debate lasted a minute, when self control was non-existent at that point. She continued to pet him, and ruffled, played, and marveled as she wasted time. She was like a little kid that cooed at anything cute. Her eyes focused on the ears camouflaged in between in uncountable strands of hair. "You remind me of a very lazy stray cat that liked to sleep at my window without a care in the world." She muttered.

He shuffled slightly. "How cold..." Naruto groaned out. His eyes fluttered open. "What a wake up call; the Snow Angel wakes me up with her cold touch and icy words." He looked up slowly since he was still tired. He yawned out, "Mornin', Weiss." He stared at the mirror, which showed his disheveled hair clearly. "I see you had fun with my hair and ears."

"In quite a substantial amount." Weiss admitted with a nod. "And how dare you call a lady cold to the touch."

"You're not a lady, remember?" Naruto monotonously spoke. "Jaune isn't lying when he calls you 'Snow Angel' you know." He sat up properly, and continued whatever he said, "I heard from him that he's an avid fan of your songs; me too personally. And we both agreed that when you sing, we forget how you act, or rather we see your true colors when your voice is heard." He grinned as he closed his eyes. His hands played a imaginary instrument. "When I listen to "Gold" all I hear is how caring you can possibly be -like an angel should be."

Weiss acted indifferently. Though deep down, she was proud to make such an effect. Though Naruto or Jaune wouldn't ever hear it come out of her mouth anytime soon. "Is that so?" She asked.

He nodded while he crossed his arms. "You really need to learn to ease up. I've seen you break away from your rich and stuck-up attitude many times now." He poked Weiss on the nose. "You're with friends now. There's no need to keep up an image like that all the time, ya know. Be carefree for once; I think you'll learn to appreciate the finer things in life if you did."

Weiss huffed. "Excuse me? I do enjoy the finer things in life! I-" Naruto's hands cupped her cheeks. The first thing that came to mind was how very warm his hands were on her soft and supple cheeks. Her face heated up from it, though there had to be one more factor left out of that.

"That's not being carefree, Weiss." He said happily with his eyes closed. The moment his eyes opened, Weiss thought she saw evil within. "That's being defensive; it means you're not listening!" He pulled away his hands, and latched them at her sides to pull her close to him. She was so close that she fell into the tub without any foothold to help her regain her balance. Only Naruto's lap kept her relatively stable.

She wondered why she didn't feel his hands around her until she looked up.

Outside the bathroom, Yang, Blake, and Ruby were dumbfounded by the happy cries and laughs Weiss let out.

"N-Naruto! St-Stop! Don't tic-KLe therE! AHHH! StaY AWaaaaY!"

Ruby spoke first. "Well at least we know Weiss isn't beating him up. And that Naruto is awake."

Blake scribbled a few notes that turned into an outline with character sketches. "Maybe this could be useful for Gama-Sensei." She muttered.

Yang felt a slight pang of jealously struck her soul. Naruto and Weiss were friends, but in her mind that was a bit too close to be called friends. Maybe it was paranoia, but she didn't like what she heard. Though, another part of her was happy that Weiss was acting more like a normal person now. And that Naruto was the one that's helping out with the melting process. ' _I'll let it slide for now._ ' She thought.

There was a knock on the door. "Guys? I heard screaming. Everything okay in there?" It was Jaune.

"I'll get it." Ruby volunteered to open the door. She opened the door, and greeted her fellow leader. "Hiya, Jaune! Sorry about the noise. Weiss woke Naruto up, and now she's being tickled into submission."

Jaune gave Ruby a blank look. "...What? Naruto's in here? Doesn't he have a room?"

Ruby scratched her head. "Well...with what happened last night, we thought it was best to shelter Naruto away from Atlas personnel?"

"Ah...right. Pyrrha told me about that." He said almost hollowly. He rubbed the back of his neck. "The General is targeting him. Is he okay? With all that happened last night?"

"AHAHAHAHA! NAruTOO! LET ME GO! S-Stop wiTh The t-tick-ahAHAH!"

Ruby motioned her head to the bathroom. "If that doesn't sound like he's okay, then I don't know what will."

Jaune wordlessly nodded. "Well, I for one think that he's doing better than okay. I'm glad that he's not acting any stranger than normal." He said before he gave Ruby a smile. "Great talk, Ruby. Glad the confusion's cleared up. See ya later." He turned around to head for his own dorm room.

Ruby closed the door slowly. She couldn't help but feel that Jaune was a tad upset. When she did close the door, she was immediately criticized. "Ruby, you're heartbreaker." She heard Yang said.

"What? What did I do?"

"You know how much Jaune likes Weiss, and you told him the brutal truth in such a cheery fashion; you're probably tearing him up with the image of Naruto having fun -in a normal way- with Weiss." Yang explained as she dangled her legs out of the bed. "Right now, the knight's heart feels nothing but jealousy-" Yang struck an exaggerated damsel-in-distress kind of pose. "-and it's all your fault."

Blake looked up to her Partner. "Shouldn't _you_ be jealous that Weiss is having fun because Naruto is with her?"

Yang waved it off. "Psshaw! I'm not _that_ petty."

Blake narrowed her eyes. "This coming from the girl with a hair-trigger rage mode?"

"...Shut up, Blake."

Ruby stifled her laugh.

Inside the bathroom, Naruto's tickling stopped. "The princess can laugh. A miracle!" He cheered gleefully. He flinched when he felt a hand attempt to chop his head. "Hey, hey...no physical abuse, Weiss."

Weiss fumed red with embarrassment. She was still in the tub on Naruto's lap. "What you did to me _was_ physical abuse!" She retorted. "Honestly, I thought you'd have more self control and be more mature considering you're supposed to be someone with a job."

"My shift doesn't start until eleven." Naruto said. "So I can be immature as I want until that time."

Weiss pushed herself off of Naruto to sit at the tub's edge. She glared at him once she got a stable foothold. "You know that's not what I meant at all."

He grinned. "I know." Then silence came in between them. Neither knew how to go further into their conversation at that point. Their happy atmosphere was soon lost. Naruto sighed. Suddenly, he asked, "Are you alright with this? Being friends with someone that's supposed to lead an organization that made your family as well as countless others' lives difficult?"

Weiss looked at the mirror, and reflected. "Had this been the start of the year, I'd say no, it isn't alright. Blasphemous even to consider being friends with you." She said bluntly. The prim and proper heiress fixed her hair slightly. "You're immature, dangerous, at times mischievous, and so on." She nodded as if those were agreeable traits that described Naruto. "But you're also compassionate, generous, gentlemanly, and noble in other instances." She looked at Naruto. "I realized that the emotions you or any Faunus has isn't any different from Humans. We're all living beings, and we can survive with a little bit of difference between our races."

Naruto stared for a minute without blinking at all. When he did, he leaned his head back, andphook his head. "Wow...what a transformation." He said. "You actually don't sound like a crabby princess anymore! Ow!" He was slapped upside the head. "The heck was that for?!"

"I'm wasn't crabby at all; my day just wasn't going as planned, that's all." Weiss defended herself.

"First impressions are a thing, ya know."

"And look where that led us; we're friends." She smiled. "Just like our fathers wanted us to be."

Naruto sat ramrod straight out of surprise. "Eh? Did they actually want that?" Weiss flicked his nose. "Hey! Stop that."

"Of course they did, you dunce. What father doesn't want his child be friends with his best friend's child?"

He shrugged. "I wouldn't know. My first best friend died. My other friend moves around a lot so I rarely meet him. And the final one...it's kinda complicated?" He scratched his head because he didn't know how to explain the last relationship. He nodded and continued on. "Yeah...I'm not really the kind of guy you want to talk about conventional childhood stuff like make future promises to said best friend."

"Well that's what my father told me when I talked to him. And here we are...friends meeting in the most unlikely circumstance."

"Mhmm. So...Weiss."

"Yes?"

"Would you like to be my Rain Guardian?"

"Sure."

His eyes went wide. "Just like that?"

"Just like that." She parroted.

Naruto inhaled then exhaled. He grinned a moment later. "Well I'm not gonna question that. I hereby make you my Rain Guardian." He offered his right hand. "Shake on it, Weiss."

The heiress raised an eyebrow. "Just like that?"

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea how this goes, but yeah. Just like that." His left hand pointed to his right. "Now c'mon...shake on it."

She gave her right hand. "If only to humor you." The two shook hands, and instantly, Weiss felt a cool sensation wrap around her hand before she felt a shiver crawled down her spine. They disengaged the handshake, and Weiss inspected her hand as if it was an anomaly. "It must have worked; your hands weren't so cold like ocean water before."

The blond looked at his right hand. "Seriously? I didn't feel anything." He got up from the tub, and sat next to the heiress, who he returned focus on. "Well...if you felt something, then try using it. If you can."

Weiss kept her right hand in front of her, and focused on that cold sensation she felt. Being forced to use her Semblance in combat, Weiss was quite adept at calling forth the power her Aura contained. However, since this was a foreign power, she knew that the process had the potential to be tricky. And yet not even a minute later, her right hand was enveloped in a blue flame that resembled water more than actual fire.

"So this is the Rain flame..."

"The flame that slows things down to a halt and pacify." Naruto said. "The flame that calms down anything it touches." He smiled. "Just like your voice!"

* * *

 _Naruto said, "Well I guess that's about it for now. I can't really tell more about it since I'm pretty much new to this as well." He prepared to stand up. "Since there's nothing more to talk about, I'm gonna go back to my room and sleep."_

 _"Stay here." Weiss said. "You'll be safer here for the night. Even if they stepped back, there's no telling what might happen if you're left alone tonight."_

 _"Aww Weiss...you_ do _care!" Naruto cooed._

 _"Of course I care; you're my friend." She said. "And I want nothing more than my friends to be safe."_

* * *

"Now that that's done. I've gotta go. Got places to be right now." He exited the bathroom, and greeted the rest of the team. "Morning' Ruby, Blake, Yang!"

"Morning, Naruto/Milord/Firecracker." They greeted back.

"Thanks for letting me stay the night."

"You're welcome, Naruto." Ruby answered for her team. "Off to work?"

"No. Not yet. Small errands." Naruto vaguely replied. "Still, my shift for today is rather short." He mentioned. "Hey, Yang! Wanna go to Vale this afternoon? I heard there's a small tourney going over at the arcades at five."

"A tourney for what?"

"I don't know. Didn't really check. All I know is that it's a fighting game. You game?"

Yang cracked her knuckles. "Oh I'm definitely game."

"Cool! Kay bye, girls!" He opened the door, and left the room with a wave.

A minute later, Weiss came out of the bathroom. "Before I take a shower, a question: Blake, why are your nostrils plugged?"

"I saw something amazing. So did you and Yang." Weiss was about to deny the claim. "Don't even try to deny it." Blake's cat ears twitched. "My ears heard it all." The claim shut Weiss up firmly. Blake shooed her away. "Now have fun with your shower, Rain Guardian. I have something important to do, and you do as well. Let's agree to prioritize those, and not waste anymore time now. Okay?"

"Fair point, Blake. Now if you'll excuse me." Weiss closed the door.

"Wow." Yang said. "Firecracker works fast. Now theres...Rubes, me, two others...Weiss, and Naruto That's six out of nine!"

"Hooray, you can count." Blake drawled. "Can I get some quiet now?"

Yang peeked down. "Writing smut, Blake?"

"No. I'm outlining literary art as well as sketching art for my literary idol, Gama-sensei, to use at a later date!"

Ruby sat down next to Blake, and eyed her work. "Hm...interesting. Ninjas, huh." Her eyes locked on the bottom part of the page. "Now _that's_ a katana."

* * *

Somewhere in Patch, Taiyang Xiao Long spat out his morning coffee when he felt a disturbance in the force that kept the balance of the world. The disturbance was tangible, he could describe it, but it was absolutely unnatural. Such an event had to be a sign of the end -in his eyes at least. He turned to his brother-in-law, Qrow, who spat out his morning beer for he too felt it. They weren't on good terms, but they were in sync on one thing: Ruby's purity.

Their minds as one, they said together in perfect synchronization, "Dear Oum, Ruby made a sexual innuendo."

 _ **And finish for this chapter. Pretty much exposition you already know, but shows the character's reaction to it. Other than that, character interactions for Naruto and Weiss as well as smaller ones. Not much going for action, but hey, we need a break from that a little bit. By the way, what do you think of the format of the flashbacks being segmented out? Just wondering because I made flashbacks a prevalent thing in this chapter, and I didn't want to confuse you guys with text that can only be differentiated with italics alone. So is it okay for a chapter with heavy focus on flashbacks?**_

 _ **Anyways, review, follow, favorite, I don't care.**_

 _ **This is Azure, signing off.**_


	34. Peaceful days

_**Welcome to another chapter. I apologize if this comes as a delayed update. Summer classes were a killer on the mind. But never mind that, enjoy the chapter.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 30: Peaceful Days

Ironwood sat in his office inside his airship. The room was as Atlesian as could be. The walls were a metallic white with light fixtures that glowed an electric blue. To the sides were a collection of books varying from history to strategy. Much like Ozpin's desk, Ironwood's own was barren. Nothing of note was there. No family photo, novelty item, or some sort of decoration was present on his desk. He, in this bland room, sat alone in peace while he remembered the words he was given by the Valean Council. He crossed his arms in disagreement with what he heard from those that governed the Kingdom of Vale.

* * *

 _"Your actions are irresponsible, General!" Cried out one of the Councilors. "Hiding the fact you were raided of future prototype military products from the other Kingdoms is an action that led to an unfortunate disaster! Fifty-five injured. Thirty deceased. And Hundreds of thousands of lien are the result of Friday's attack. This could have been avoided with prior knowledge!"_

 _The General spoke in return. "And what would prior knowledge do exactly?" He asked the three Councilors in front of him. "_ _Valean law enforcement aren't equipped for combat against armored frames. They can't even slow one of them down." He said bluntly. "Valean Hunstmen and Huntresses are free spirits of their own. The Kingdom's safety only matters to them when the Kingdom is actually in danger!" He stepped forward, "They're Mercenaries of a different name! And you three, judging by your anger towards my actions, are willing to waste lien on a threat that may or may not come?!"_

 _The second Councilor spoke up. "This coming from the man that is known for the "Shoot first; ask questions later" mentality?" The Councilor scoffed. "Don't try to pin blame on the possibilities. Pin blame on your incompetency!" The bluntness of the statement kept the General silent. "You of all people know what type of leader you are. A Headstrong attitude is not at all discouraged; however, you don't think!"_

 _"Excuse me?!" Ironwood obviously took offense to that._

 _The third Councilor spoke. Calmly, she said, "We are well aware of the problems of the world, Ironwood. There are forces that conspire against the fleeting peace we have. Your negligence alone speaks volumes of your stance in this hidden crises." She stood up along with her colleagues. "You are quite the arrogant man, Ironwood. Pride like yours is corrosive." She said monotonously. "You are not the only person in this world. You know this simple fact. Yet, why do you insist that you shoulder the burdens and threats of the world on your shoulders?"_

 _The General narrowed his eyes. He looked left and right as he took a step back. "I beg your pardon...I don't know where you're coming from. Elaborate on your statement please."_

 _The third Councilor proceeded to explain. "Negligence of this caliber means you are confident that you can handle this threat. You've supplemented yourself with potential solutions to cover up your mistake. Your mentality is a sign that you wish to end things quickly; moreover, potential threats are to be culled because of it. The fact you boast of accomplishments and other such topics exemplifies that whatever you plan to do can be accomplished on merit alone." She cleared her throat. "The fleet above this Kingdom and your little show are evidence of this."_

 _Ironwood looked at the third Councilor. "I fail to see how the second or third point show my stubbornness of solving all the problems of the world by my own."_

 _"The Fiamma." The Third Councilor answered simply. Ironwood didn't know how to react to that. "We know he exists." She explained. "Ozpin told us months before that we would be the stage of trouble from the White Fang. He didn't outright say it, but we had a hunch." She sighed. "And it turns out our hunch was correct. An heir lives; the crown of flames was a dead ringer to it." Her tone became sharper immediately. "And now we come to the relevance of second point: We know that you placed a kill order on him." She turned to her colleagues to the left of her._

 _"That was_ not _a kill order!" Ironwood denied the accusation. "I ordered my men to apprehend him."_

 _"With Aura projectiles?" The first Councilor asked. "I fail to see how that is by any means an attempt to arrest him. Furthermore, that was already excessive force; an attempt to kill." The man slammed a fist on the counter. "Do you fail to remember the words that defines "Innocent" in law? Does the phrase "Innocent until proven guilty" not ring any sort of bells?" He shook his head. "We are well aware of the clan that formed the White Fang, but even you must know that they were the peaceful ones. The White Fang is a known threat. All of us know that; however, the lone Fiamma has_ nothing _to do with the current White Fang. Your order was unjustified, and by technicality, you ordered your men to attack an innocent without thought on the matter."_

 _"You placed the order to save face. While throwing the innocent Fiamma under the bus." The second Councilor said in conclusion._

 _"As for the third point..." The third Councilor started off. "The fact that you brought your forces_ unannounced _and in_ numerous _amounts along with an unnecessary and shameless display of military might show how much you're willing to solve all the world's trouble with your own hands and the tools you have at your disposal." She said, "You were ready for war."_

 _"And none of you aren't?" Ironwood shot back. "Peace on Remnant won't last. Not with what might come in the coming months."_

 _"We are aware." The Councilors spoke in sync._

 _"And that's it? You're aware?"_

 _The second Councilor spoke. "In a time of peace, you want us to mobilize a force to combat whatever may come?" The question was simple. "Such action at its core is needed at this point in time. However, hypothetically, should we mobilize a force as large as yours. What are we expecting to fight?"_

 _"The Grimm? White Fang? Domestic riots? Do none of these matter?"_

 _"They matter." The second Councilor answered. He didn't let the General have the time to speak. "The problem with your actions is that they attracted trouble." A holoscreen popped out in between the Councilors and Ironwood. "These past five years, your development of military might has caused tensions to rise within the Atlesian populace. We know not why you pushed for such a progressive action, but we speculate that you were already prepared for war against the White Fang. The increase in the fleet, armaments, and conscription of your own students are all part of this agenda of yours to use them as your pawns to help this world remain safe."_

 _"And if that is so?! I'm doing a better job of preparing for the inevitable than any of you are!"_

 _"General!" The first Councilor shouted to cull the defensive comments. The voice echoed several times in the empty room. "You know the world is spiraling down. You know that negativity is rising as the time passes." He slammed the counter, and the holoscreen divided into several screens. "Actions like yours are proving to be quite the catalyst in brewing negativity. The rising tension in your Kingdom for the past five years branched off into a multitude of effects."_

 _"Your Kingdom lives in an unofficial segregated society where humans are favored quite substantially." The third Councilor said. "And with your push for military progression, we can see that to maintain such order, members of your military and law enforcement are mainly humans." Ironwood was about to speak, but was stopped with a hand. "That is not meant to say that you are responsible for such a condition; however, you Atlesians have repeatedly reported acts of violence, protests, and riots, which only made the relationship between the races even more strained."_

 _The Councilors kept on exchanging rhetoric with the General for an hour or two with Ironwood unable to refute the statements._

* * *

Ironwood took a deep breath, and placed his Scroll on his desk. A holoscreen fizzled into existence. His elbows supported his chin as he watched the contents on the screen. His eyes glance over most of it, and mostly paid attention to the picture attached. Indifferent, Ironwood simply muttered, "Grandfather...you shouldn't have died that day. Your descendant is incompetent. The countless decisions he had to make were the wrong ones." Ironwood spoke in a whisper. "You were the better leader. You would have handled Atlas's problems much better than I did." He paused, and closed his eyes. He imagined the chaos that happened eighty years ago. "The world was not like it was in your time; not chaotic at all compared to before, and yet your grandson is struggling to keep the world I know together."

He took a deep breath then exhaled it out. He glanced at his right arm before he looked at the photo of his grandfather. "I...I don't know what to do anymore." He said.

* * *

Naruto looked blankly at the stack of boxes he had to carry and the bags that hung on his arms. He peered over one side, and asked, "Isn't tomorrow a school night? Why are you girls on a shopping spree, aaaaaannnnd why drag me into it?"

"Because our studies and homework are done, and we want to have a head start on choice of dresses for the dance this coming weekend! The teacher's aren't saying it's happening, but I'll be ready for it!" Yang cheered. She turned around to insist on looking at Naruto whilst she walked backwards. "So today, you're our tortured soul into today's venture into fashion stores all over Vale."

Naruto wasn't amused. His judging expression alone spoke volumes about his opinion in this course of action. "…Is this because I kicked your butt in the tourney at the arcades last night?" He asked.

"Nope!"

He sighed, and submitted to his current role.

"Hang…in there, Naruto!" Ruby cheered weakly as she held several bags of ammunition and Dust. "We've…got-" The tiny team leader whimpered as she realized the day wasn't over.

"Don't be so overdramatic, Ruby." Blake chastised the team leader. She herself held onto a bag of snacks. "Weiss is also carrying the same amount as you in first aid supplies."

Naruto grumbled, completely ignored the commotion around him. He asked, "You guys could have easily gotten all this without me as an extra pair of hands. Why drag me? Why?" He had to know because he particularly didn't want to spend his time off doing this. "Sundays are my binge days!"

Pyrrha, who was with the group, sighed, and supplied an answer for Naruto. "You have other binge days, Naruto. But as of right now, Jaune and Ren, who were supposed to be what Yang considered as "Pack Mules" for today's shopping spree, aren't available. Reason being...Ren wised up; he helped out Jaune with his homework that wasn't finished yet. Because of that excuse, Yang dragged you into this last minute. " She placed a hand on Naruto's right shoulder. "I'm sorry about this. Really." She told him. "In order to alleviate some frustration, would you like some help with those bags?"

Naruto looked at Pyrrha. "If you're fine with it, be my guest." He moved his arms towards the bottom of the lowest box, and balanced it on one hand. He extended his right arm, and allowed Pyrrha to take several bags filled with dresses off of his right arm. Once done, he turned to Ruby, "Hey, Ruby. How about a switch?"

"I-It's fine!" Ruby strained to reply. "This is noth-" Naruto dropped his bags and boxes, and swiftly took the bags Ruby had out of her hands. "Hey!"

"At least with carrying the boxes, you won't have trouble talking while walking." Naruto reasoned as he retrieved his other bags.

"But they're so tall! Why is there a big stack? Yang! Why did we need to buy this much?!" Ruby whined.

"No use wondering. It's already yours; cherish your stuff." Naruto said bluntly as he walked on ahead. "And don't whine about the stack. It's a perfectly normal amount for a group of five girls." He smirked. "The only problem with your situation is that you're a runt."

"Hey! I'm not a runt! I. DRINK. MILK!" Ruby defended herself passionately with that one reason.

He turned around with a grin etched on his face. "Well…if you're not a runt, is Weiss the one I should be calling that?"

"Hey!" Weiss cried out. She gave Naruto the stink eye. "If you dare call me that-"

"Come to think of it, you _are_ shorter than Ruby even _with_ heels." Yang said. She grinned from ear to ear. "Runt fits you better in the size aspect." She received a glare from the heiress, but that didn't elicit a reaction at all.

Naruto looked at the time on his Scroll. It was about half past one in the afternoon. He walked up to the redhead champion of Mistral. "Pyrrha." He called. He looked at her with slight worry. His eyes darted left and right. "Are you sure that Nora can handle herself?" He scratched his head. "It's been an hour, and she hasn't called back yet. The least she could tell us before sprinting away is to tell us what she wanted to buy."

"Nora can handle herself." Pyrrha reassured. "Contrary to popular belief, Nora is still capable of fully functioning in society."

Naruto relented. "...If you say so." He turned to the rest of the group. "How many more shops?"

"Until our legs are butter!" Yang answered as a cheer.

"Can't we take a break, Yang?" Ruby whimpered. "We've been shopping since ten. We haven't eaten lunch yet!"

The mere mention of the word lunch caused nearly everyone's stomachs to growl. Every girl blushed at the instinctive action whilst Naruto simply rubbed his belly. Several pairs of eyes locked onto the bag of snacks Blake had. Blake pulled the bag of snacks closer to her in response to the animalistic hunger she sensed. "Snacks aren't a proper lunch." She said.

Naruto turned around, and looked at his surroundings. He hummed as he walked deeper into Vale's Orient town, a small section of the kingdom devoted to oriental peoples as well as businesses that they run. The thought of going to that part of the kingdom made Naruto grin. "Blake's right. Snacks won't be a satisfying lunch." He said. "I've got a better place we could go to. It's a diner, but the cook is a master! In my honest opinion at least. He'll make you melt with the food he's cooked." He took a glance behind him. "Ya interested?"

The group of six walked through the streets of Vale. The crowds steadily rose in number. The deeper into unfamiliar territory, the more the girls kept close to Naruto, who certainly garnered much attention as the odd one out in the group of beautiful young women. Few even approached Naruto, though they were more focused on the Faunus instead of the rest of the group. One had Naruto in a playful chokehold; a friend perhaps. Naruto forced himself out of the hold, and apologized about not visiting in a while and that he'd make it up later. The friend wasn't too mad, and let the group be on their way.

They arrived at their destination. Naruto promptly opened the door to the oriental diner, and yelled, "SOMA! Table for six!" He and the rest of the group entered the diner cautiously since this was a new setting to them. Though that caution did not last long when their noses smelled the tantalizing aroma of spices, fish, meat, and more. Naruto grinned. He knew the girls were drooling without even looking at them.

The diner was packed with hungry customers filled with utter satisfaction in their faces. All the while a blonde blur darted across the room to take and give orders, or even clean tables.

"Gotcha!" The chef, a red-haired young man with a white headband and apron, shouted back. "Name your order as soon as you're ready! Noel, find them a spot, all right?" The waitress, the blur, stepped up in front of the group of six.

She bowed, and said, "Welcome to Yukihira Diner!" She stood up straight, and her long and straight blonde hair fell gracefully over her gave an enthusiastic smile before she said, "My name is Noel, the waitress. Table for six? Please follow me." The group followed her to a seat for six off to the side of the large room. "Order whenever you're ready; I'll be there to take it in a jiffy!"

Naruto turned to the girls. "Well? Take your pick."

The others were hesitant. "What about Nora?" They asked.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders. "Don't ask me. Ask Pyrrha. She said Nora could handle herself."

* * *

Nora strolled through Vale with a bounce in her steps. She was given free reign to do what she wanted so long as she came back to the group. Problem was that she didn't know what to do. Everywhere she looked, nothing sparked her to do something crazy. Nothing inspired her to do something typical of her. She thought that it was an off day for her, but that didn't really matter. She knew that if she wasted any more time on what to do, she lost the day. "I already have a dress. So what can I do? Magnhild is stocked on ammo, polished, and given maintenance." She instantly found an answer when she saw a group of kids surrounded by slightly older ones.

"Let her go!" Yelled the little ones. "Big sis didn't do anything to you jerks!"

"She took the same sidewalk as us; that's good reason enough!" Answered one of the older ones.

Nora inspected the wall of older kids, probably in the early teens, huddled close to each other with sneers on their faces. She squinted further to see through the gaps, and saw a little one, a Faunus girl, held against her will just like the little ones said. The Faunus girl struggled to get away. That set her into motion. She crossed the street, and stopped right in between the two groups. She faced the little ones, but glanced back, and asked, "What's going on here?"

One of the bullies said, "Hey! Don't butt in!"

"This is our problem! Get outta here!" Another one yelled.

One of the little ones recognized her. "Ah! You're that lady that goes to Beacon and in the same team with Pyrrha Nikos! You were there when big brother was hurt!" The same child held onto Nora's right leg tightly. "Please! You have to help big sis!" Soon the others joined in in begging the Valkyrie for help.

Nora turned around without any resistance from the children that hung around her legs. She watched the older children droned out when they heard who she was a teammate of. "How's this..." She started off as she pulled out her Scroll. "You ever saw a video about a Janitor beating up a trainee team of Huntsmen?" The older ones nodded. Few nodded uneasily. "Good. Then I don't have to show you what he can do to you." She said cheerily. She opened her Scroll, and played with the options on the screen. "What I can do, if you don't let the Faunus girl go, is call him."

"And why is that so important -calling that filthy Faunus." Asked the presumed leader of the group; the one who held onto the girl tightly by the tail and head.

"These kids are orphans. That janitor is also an orphan from the same orphanage. In other words, he's their big brother!" She answered with a grin. The Valkyrie leaned forward. "And he's very protective of his family. So protective, he'll break your legs first so you can't run away. Then he'll break your arms so you can't crawl away!" Her face formed malicious glee. "He'll make you suffer..." She stood up straight. "And it'll happen...in a PUSH OF THE CALL BUTTON!" For added effect, she gave her trademark maniacal laughter to seal the sensation of fear into the bullies. Then in a completely calm tone, she asked, "So would you let her go now?"

The older ones eagerly released the Faunus girl, and ran away for their lives.

"Are you okay?" Nora asked the one held hostage. "Nothing hurts? Nothing broken? Anything?"

"Lady...you're not right in the head." The Faunus child said bluntly. "But thanks for the save!" The child said happily.

"What are you even doing here?" Nora asked.

"It's a Sunday!" One of the children behind Nora answered happily. Though, Nora didn't know what that meant. "Sundays mean playing in the park." The same child explained. "But the reason we aren't at the park is because we wanted Ice cream." He lowered his head. "We told Granny that we were fine since the Ice cream shop is around the corner." He pointed to the right of Nora.

Nora thought about the situation. She didn't have anything to do. The kids wanted Ice cream. "Hmm...why don't I join you guys? Someone needs to look out for you! And I can do that! Whaddaya say?"

* * *

The diner's lunch rush was at its end. Few customers from the tables around the diner were left with nearly finished plates. Yang was among those customers. She plopped her sparkly clean bowl onto the table. She licked her lips before she said, "Delish! Compliments to the chef!" She took a toothpick, and proceeded to poke at her guns for leftover beef stuck between her teeth. "Ten outta ten. Would binge." She said.

"I second that thought!" Ruby exclaimed as she too followed her sister's actions.

Blake lowered her cup of tea, and said her thoughts. "It's certainly filling and euphoric. I've never had something this delicious before." She looked to Naruto. "The chef gained a new regular." She said with a small smile.

"It's certainly an experience to eat this diner's cooking. Wonderfully delicious and appetizing!" Pyrrha praised. Her plate was clean; not a single trace of food was on the surface of the white ceramic plate. "Such passion in the flavors; it's sublime."

Weiss lowered her spoon down to her plate. "It's an adequate meal. Palatable, but not without it's-"

"Weiss...ease up." Naruto said. "C'mon, you're with friends." He knocked on her forehead as if she was a door. "No more prim and proper princess with us."

"The heiress sighed. "Fine." She surrendered to the innocent order. "It was delicious. Thank you for the meal." She said. "Better?"

"Yup!" He grinned from ear to ear. "Much better." He turned to the chef. "Soma! You're still going strong with the cooking. Keep up the good work! You got five lasses to do the usual thing again!"

"Glad they enjoyed it!" The chef shouted back as he continued to cook for the next customer.

Yang wondered, "Usual thing?"

Naruto waved it off. "If you didn't notice it, then there's no need to explain it." He took out his wallet. "Anyways, my treat. You girls used up some of your money shopping, and let's keep it to that. Let me handle this one." He was met with some protest, but he ignored them. He took out the necessary amount of lien, and called for the waitress, who promptly took the cash then left. He turned to the girls. "So? Are you still buying more stuff?"

Most of them nodded. Ruby and Blake in particular didn't want to shop anymore for today.

Naruto drooped his head. "Another clothing store?"

They nodded again. Ruby and Blake nodded in accordance to the trend.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine. Do your worst." He said.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Weiss asked.

He waved it off. "Guy problems. Just leave it at that."

Yang, who sat next to Naruto, leaned on him. "Aww...you can't stand the waiting. Is that it?" She guessed. Her hands roamed about his chest as if to soothe the nonexistent worries out of him. "Don't worry. Mama Yang will show you some things to keep you sane." She playfully said to him. She hummed. "Maybe something red." She grinned as she got an idea. She mouth came close to his ear, and whispered, "How does a red string bikini sound? Can you imagine it? Something showing so much skin held together with nothing but strings hugging my body?"

Naruto, red from the words of his girlfriend as well as the image, turned away from her. "Damn you, Yang. Why here and now?" He muttered. "Couldn't you do that at a later time? Seriously..." He shivered in place when he felt Yang's fingers tickle his cheeks. His cheeks flared a brighter red. " _YANG!_ " He said louder as a warning. His girlfriend didn't listen. She cooed and said racier imagery that Naruto couldn't handle it. He stood up and left with a glowing red face that looked about to explode; it was his only option left to not shut down mentally.

Meanwhile, Yang got judging stares from the rest of the girls. "What?" She asked.

"Leave the PDAs to your private times together." Weiss simply said with a brush of her ponytail while she too walked away.

"Naruto seems a little innocent -or too cautious- when it comes to these things." Blake commented. She took a final sip of her tea, then said her final words on the matter. "Do it with _restrained_ moderation if you'll do it in public." She got up out of her seat, and exited the diner.

Yang looked to Ruby. "Any words, sis?"

"...If Dad hears about this-" Ruby said with an intentional cut-off point.

Yang crossed her arms. "Dad? Psshaw!" She threw the idea out the window. "You already know his stance on boys. Don't even try to deny it." She shrugged her shoulders, "Besides, if he saw Naruto during my moments of teasing, he knows that Naruto isn't the type of guy to take advantage of the situation." She pointed a thumb at herself. "So in other words, when it comes to me dating guys, I'm perfectly fine and immune to parental embarrassment and potential breakup from that troublesome factor." She pointed at the younger sister. " _You_ don't have that kinda luxury, Rubes. You're still dad's special angel."

Ruby couldn't make any argument, and sighed in defeat. "Well you'll still need to reel it in. We don't want a repeat of what happened in the infirmary."

Yang looked confused. "The infirmary?"

Pyrrha, too amused with the recent happenings minutes before, spoke up. "She means when Naruto...snapped from your teasing." The answer easily made Yang remember the event. "Certainly, that kind of effect you have on Naruto will cause some misunderstanding again if you continue to pester him." She stood up from her seat, and gave Yang a small smile. "But it's not my problem; it yours. You do what you do, Yang. Just tone it down, and I'm sure he'll get used to it." The Mistralian champion scratched her head. "But that's only speculation on my end. I apologize if I gave faulty advice. I'm practically inexperienced in terms of dating."

"If you're so worried about inexperience,why don't you go out with Jaune to fix it?" Ruby asked bluntly.

Pyrrha snapped her head towards Ruby so fast that Ruby swore that she saw it as some form of Semblance.

Yang leaned closer to Ruby. " _Way to be subtle._ " She whispered. "Whelp, I guess I've overstayed my welcome at this table. See ya outside!" Yang bolted for the doors, and ditched Ruby.

Ruby felt betrayed that Yang ditched her again. Though she had bigger worries. She looked to Pyrrha, and felt the need to explain herself. "I mean I see you look at Jaune all the time; it's not a casual glance at all. Sometimes I see you staring, and your cheeks sometimes...red?" She mumbled to herself. "Anyways, other than that, you like to stay by his side. A lot I might add, but it's not too farfetched since you're partners and all. Anyone can see that you really care for him. You look like you want to date him. So why not just ask him? It's not like he will hate you or anything. He's Jaune!"

Pyrrha sighed. "I just...I don't-" She palmed her face. "He won't notice me. Not when he's so smitten with Weiss." She said before she instantly perked up. "I don't know if my feelings for Jaune are love, but I certainly feel like a person around him. I'm not the champion of Mistral, I'm Pyrrha in his eyes. That alone was enough to make me care for him. Yes. Care for him. That feeling only goes further and further with the days that pass." She looked down and away. "But it's fine. I'm fine waiting." She looked to Ruby. "I don't ask because I want him to ask me himself, when he, of his own will, chooses to move on from Weiss. I want him to notice what was obviously in front of him, and see his goofy face slowly morph into realization that his partner had eyes on him for a long time." She walked away from the table with the satisfaction that she told someone a piece of truth of her feelings towards Jaune.

"At some point you'll have to tell him." Ruby said as she followed after Pyrrha.

"I know. But not at this point in time."

* * *

Mercury and Emerald walked through the streets of Vale. The latter's expression was that of dissatisfaction whereas her partner was the complete opposite. One had a hop to each step, while the other stomped the ground. The sheer atmospheric contrast between the two unnerved passerbys.

"You want some?" The male offered his cotton candy.

"No. I'm fine. Thanks for the offer though."

Mercury shrugged, then happily gorged on his snack while he kept a keen eye on his female partner in crime. Each step they took, the more Mercury saw Emerald's mood drop. This went on for minutes. The silence between them unnerved him. It was rare for the both of them to not talk this long. Bickering was the usual progression of conversation, yet that hadn't happened yet. He mentally sighed, and stopped eating his cotton candy. "Alright… I'll bite. What's up with you?" He asked. "We have the day off." He motioned his left hand to the sky. "Perfect afternoon weather, and no hassles. Oh, and relative peace and quiet with a balanced side of reality-induced misery." He said, "There should be some sass coming off of your mouth by now."

Emerald glanced back at him. "The festival will come soon." She said. "...Aren't you worried?"

The words Emerald said made Mercury frown. "Ah. So it's about that." He muttered then ended with a sigh. His free hand scratched his head. "One of these days, we'll face him as the enemy." He watched Emerald nod silently as the two continued to walk. "Everything will go downhill for us…once Cinder applies the virus onto Beacon Tower's CCT mainframe."

They were at a less populated part of Vale, where the residents and tourists aimed to keep to themselves. Their minds, unfocused on their destination, lingered on the consequences of their choice to follow Cinder. Emerald carried a heavy heart; her face morphed slightly to express regret. Mercury, affected by his partner's attitude and the stroke of reality applied into the conversation, lowered his spirits to some degree.

"It's…it's not right." Emerald hesitated to say, but eventually said out loud. She lowered her head while her hands tightened into fists. "This isn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to get involved in this any deeper than he was supposed to! He's not stopping at all!" She said out of frustration. "I didn't want this. Not this life! Certainly not the circumstances that led all the way to now!" She said louder. She felt Mercury grab her shoulders, but that did not console her. "I'm going to end up fighting him. I'm going to betray him! I...I'm going to end up killing his soul!" She hissed out as she punched a nearby lamppost. "Merc…the plan. The plan will destroy everything he loves, and we're going to be the catalysts!"

Mercury stepped up in front of Emerald, and embraced her. He didn't know why he did it; it just happened. "That's the idea. If this goes through as intended…we'll be at the point of no return." He held her closer the moment he felt Emerald breathe faster and on the verge of tears. "All of Vale will be made an example of. His family will be in the crossfire no doubt."

Emerald bit her lip at the mention of the orphans. Her head shook within Mercury's hold. "I-I can't do this…" She whimpered. "Not to him." She said. "N-Not to him!" Her body shuddered rapidly. Her knuckles turned white from the pressure she exerted. "And...and _certainly_ not to _her_ …"

Mercury didn't say a thing. He knew who she talked about. He knew that the orphanage meant the world to the one Emerald hinted at as well as Naruto did. He couldn't deny that he -and Emerald- felt the same during their stay there. "Do you want to turn things around?" He asked. "To protect his family?"

"…" Emerald's breathing rate lowered. However, she wasn't out of her slump. "Don't you remember what he said when we left their care?"

He nodded before he recited, "'Whether you're here or not, you'll always be family.'"

"It's our responsibility to stop this. They're our family too. We can't let anything happen to them and the Kingdom they live in!"

"...Then what do you propose?" Mercury asked.

Emerald seemed to regain her composure when she heard the question. However, she hesitated in saying her answer. Still, she did respond to the question. "...We derail it." She said.

Mercury clapped and smiled for Emerald. "That was a great pun if I ever heard one. Now make some more!" He received a headbutt to the chin.

"A pun? Don't lump me with you, Merc!"

"But don't we have a train or something related to the plan?" Mercury innocently asked.

Emerald stared at the Assassin coldly. "...Shut up."

Mercury had a thoughtful expression on his face. "Hmm...a stealth and unintentional pun with a side of sass." He snapped a finger. "I'd say that's hitting the trifecta in your sense of humor! We gotta cultivate it and-" He received a punch in the gut. The attack forced him to let go of Emerald in order to clutch his stomach.

"Shut. Up. Mercury." Emerald reiterated.

* * *

The day nearly came to an end. The sun was on the verge of making contact with the horizon. At this point in time, the group went through six stores, and bought at products that equaled 500 lien each. Though each individual bought things that mattered to them more. For example, Blake bought some whetstones and some other personal belongings. Yang bought another dress along with a set of pieces of metal that could be used for who knows what. The others were less privy about their purchases. Naruto, the pack mule of the group, was forced to carry a comically large amount of bags to the point he could barely see where he went. And while they walked around, Naruto felt the tension that surrounded Vale. The White Fang's attack threatened the self-made peace of Vale. The eyes that locked onto him were certainly that of unease. Though he really didn't mind unless they started something. He merely sighed. ' _Sometimes I wish I have the ability to clone myself to just make things a lot more easier._ ' He thought to himself as he focused on his baggage. He mindlessly followed the girls for a few more minutes until his eyes snapped towards a nearby street sign. "Huh...I'm home." He said out loud.

Yang looked at Naruto, "We're near your orphanage?"

"It's literally right around the corner." He said. "There should be a building with really colorful walls. That's the orphanage."

The group turned right at the corner. They instantly saw what Naruto meant. Blake said it best. "You weren't kidding when you said colorful. I thought you were using a euphemism. Wouldn't be a surprise really considering its population and the owner of it are reason enough to attract trouble."

"A what?" Naruto and Ruby asked with confused looks on their faces.

Weiss rolled her eyes. She cleared her throat. "Blake meant that she thought Naruto used a different word meant to mean something else." Weiss explained. "In this case, Blake thought Naruto meant that "colorful" meant vandalized from all sides. Understand?" The two who asked nodded with thoughtful looks on their faces.

The group looked at the building, colored with various brushstrokes of varying sizes, thickness, patterns, and colors that seeped into the surface go the walls. It was chaos in a picture. Nothing was organized or uniform. No one in particular cared for the craftsmanship or the generally needed execution of painting, and just winged with with a team that was equally indifferent about the job. It's as if children were in charge of painting the walls. Then upon closer inspection, there were handprints on the walls as well. They weren't large enough to be adult hands, but with how erratic the placement was, everyone knew that children did the painting.

"...Is your caretaker fine with that..."

"Eyesore of a painting?" Naruto supplied. "No, she wasn't." He said. "It took her five years to give up making the walls look the same, and let the runts that lived in her house to paint it however they want as long as they stayed safe and didn't eat the paint." As soon as he finished saying those words, he grinned from ear to ear. The girls knew it was the smile of pride; it was the smile of the perpetrator.

Yang slung an arm around Naruto. "What's this? You were a problem kid? Who knew you were chaos incarnate as a runt?!" She squeezed tighter. "You gotta tell us... What's your best slice of trouble you caused?" She poked his cheek as she egged him on to spill some secrets about his childhood. The more she begged, the more Naruto pushed to escape her grasp. She didn't know why Naruto was so uncomfortable with the idea; she only wanted to know a little bit more about him.

' _Why doesn't she get it?!_ ' Naruto shouted inside his head as he was stuck between a chokehold and a very soft place for more than a minute now. ' _It'd be a shame to go out like this, but what a way..._ '

"Yang, stop smothering him with your boobs." Blake said monotonously. "I think I'm beginning to see him turn blue."

Yang looked at Naruto. "He's fine~" She told Blake. "In fact, he looks more _red_ than blue."

Naruto finally successfully escaped Yang's grasp, and took several deep breaths. "Nope. Not telling. And quit it with the teasing already!" He said to his girlfriend.

"Aww...come on!"

"Still not telling." He told her. With his back towards the orphanage, he told the girls, "If you want to go back to Beacon, go on ahead without me; I'll hold on to the bags I carried, then give them to you when I get back."

Weiss scoffed. "It seems awfully rude to just leave someone who assisted us in a significant way."

"That's quite a surprising thing to say, coming from you, Weiss." Blake remarked.

Weiss stared and grumbled at the Cat Faunus. "Let it go, Blake."

Blake, too interested in her book to look Weiss in the eye, said, "I apologize, but I can't hold it back anymore."

Weiss pulled Myrtenaster from her side, "Does this mean the cold doesn't bother you?"

Yang looked at the clashing pair, "Holy crap, they're doing a sketch with themed references! Ruby, get me my camera!"

Ruby looked at her. "But you don't have one. Use your Scroll." The sister duo pestered each other whilst the remaining members of RWBY bickered at each other while using song references from a movie.

A minute or two later, Pyrrha stood next to Naruto. "They're still going."

"Yep." Naruto said unimpressively. "They've referenced four songs from that movie already." He palmed his face, and turned around. "I'm going to go knock on the door now."

He placed his bags off to the side, and stared at the door with indifference. He looked at the doorbell, then at his right hand. Back and forth, the blond Faunus appeared to debate on whether or not to ring the doorbell or knock on the door. Naruto took a deep breath, placed his hands in his pockets, and raised his right leg. Without warning, his foot slammed on the door with a deafening sound. Blake and Weiss were interrupted from their little spat, while the rest of the girls wondered why Naruto kicked the door.

"Why kick the door?" Ruby asked as she cowered behind Yang.

"I don't have a key. And this is how I usually signal that I'm home." He said as he stepped one, two, three...ten steps back from the door. His left foot tapped the ground at specific intervals -seconds. After the count of ten, Naruto wondered why nobody was at the door. Surely, a flood of children from toddler to preteens would blast through the door to trample him by now. He realized it was a Sunday, but that wasn't an excuse to be out of the house at this hour. To find out more, he took out his Scroll to call the orphanage's house phone. It took several tries, which only supported Naruto's idea that they were out of the orphanage, but even then there was always someone that stayed behind.

" _Good evening. This is Umaru of Kaleidoscope Orphanage. To whom am I speaking to?_ " A polite young woman spoke from the other side of the call.

"Cut the crap Umaru." He told the young woman bluntly. "I don't need to hear your fake personality right now. Why are you even the one answering the phone? Where's Taihei? More importantly, where's Granny and the others? They can't be still at the park right?"

" _Ah. It's just you, Big brother Naruto. No wonder why the orphanage shook a little. You should know where my brother is considering his job and all._ " The young woman said in a more laid-back tone. The background noise was a garble of static and crunching. Naruto knew that the young woman on the call was doing her binging again. " _Granny and the others still aren't home, but I'm sure they'll be back anytime soon._ "

"Is there even a dinner prepared?" He asked.

" _Nuh-uh._ "

Naruto sighed. "Open the door, I'll make something."

Not a minute later the door opened. Naruto was greeted by a tiny gremlin-looking blob of orange that hugged his face. It babbled many incoherent things for a few moments, and Naruto didn't do a thing about it. Only when the gremlin-looking creature noticed the other girls did the creature change. Gone was the tiny and menacing appearance, and what replaced it was a refined, blonde young woman in an orange hamster hood that embraced Naruto from behind.

"Umaru. Say hi to some friends." He said blankly.

"..." The young woman that embraced Naruto was absolutely stunned. She shuddered in place, unable to acclimate to the sudden change of atmosphere. She never expected Naruto had company! "U-Uh...good evening."

The girls nodded in return because they were unable to comprehend the eccentricity of _one_ member of the orphanage. Naruto entered the orphanage with little sister in tow as well as the Beacon group following closely behind. "Place your shoes in the shoe racks either on the left and right. The floors are clean enough." Naruto said to the girls. "Umaru, let go, and prepare the pots and pans would ya?" The little sister let go, and dashed into the kitchen. "And serve some drinks or something for the guests too!" He yelled as an afterthought. He turned to the girls. "Make yourselves at home." He said with a smile before he headed for the kitchen.

The girls looked at each other. Yang, the breaker of silence, said, "Might as well since well most likely be here for a while." The rest nodded, and chose to inspect the very large living room, where the walls were littered with photos of the inhabitants of the orphanage. The ones they were drawn to the most were the ones with Naruto in them.

They noticed that most of his pictures were with a girl with green hair. In those pictures, the blond boy was all smiles and exuded confidence. However, when they looked at the pictures without that girl, his eyes and smile were dead. A forced smile was the best he could do. The girls quickly thought of the tragedy that befell Naruto. However, they knew that Naruto moved on from that; he finally healed from that pain.

* * *

For an hour or two, Naruto busied himself with cooking dinner. An understatement considering the amount of food prepared, but that's what they called it here -dinner. The kitchen was a chorus of metal clanging with ladles, boiling water, and sizzling oil. The aroma that seeped all over the orphanage. When he was done, the sheer amount of dishes placed on the table was more akin to a feast than anything. Two whole chicken were cooked alongside six varying dishes of seafood with a side of soup and salads.

"I think I overdid it." He muttered before he shrugged. "But it's the thought that counts. It's been a while since I cooked this much." He looked at his clothes, then smelled it. He made a face, then leaned away from the area he smelled. "Yeah...I'm gonna need to change into something else." He undid his apron and removed his bandana while he shook his tank top to get rid of the accumulated sweat.

In a lapse of inattentiveness, Naruto did not hear or see the horde of children that were after him. When he did notice them, it was already too late. The loud scream of "Big brother Naruto" rocked the orphanage in conjunction with a drowned out scream from the one being trampled by children. It didn't make things better that Nora jumped into the fray. His shouts of "Let go!" weren't heeded at all. Sooner or later everyone (Except Weiss, Blake, and Pyrrha) joined in the mass of bodies that clung to Naruto in order to show how much the members of the orphanage missed him. In the end, Naruto didn't mind it at all; he smiled his brightest smile as he reciprocated the giant group hug.

Truly it was a day to remember as one of their most peaceful memories.

 ** _And end. Hope you enjoyed this chapter for what it's worth. There's not much to say here other than more character interactions._**

 ** _So review, follow, favorite, I don't care. This is Azure signing off._**


	35. A Simple Night

_**First day of a new semester for me. Yay...schoolwork. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this update by yours truly.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 31: A Simple Night

Naruto hummed softly to a tune of his own making while he ignored the dissonant sounds of his chore and chatter of the news about an eclipse. The clangs of ceramics against ceramics pierced through the torrent of rushing water as well as cheery children that fought for the Faunus's attention. However since he had so much experience in this type of situation, nothing really bothered him. He only continued on with a smile on his face as he cleaned the stack of dishes that piled up. "Kiddos, if ya got time to bother me, grab the clean plates, and put them on the drying rack." He told to the energetic children.

They followed the order easily, and had the tallest child in the group reach for the clean plates, and passed them down the line of little ones that split off into placing the plates either in the dishwasher or the drying rack adjacent to the island sink. They were a well-oiled machine that worked without flaw because this was a routine that was cultivated since the little ones could understand basic commands. Their little rhythmic chants of "Next!" were their way of commanding the pace that Naruto needed to clean the dishes.

It brought a grin to Naruto's face. "Keep it up, kiddos!" He encouraged them as he picked up the pace.

"Aye, Sir!" A tiny blue-haired cat Faunus cheered along with a pink-haired boy with a scarf tied around his neck. Soon, everyone roared with enthusiasm.

Such a sight warmed the hearts of the girls; they understood why the children adored their big brother so much. Naruto was a very compassionate person as soon as you got past his invisible walls. Sure, he was social enough when they first met him, but he was still reserved. Though what they saw here was quite unusual for any of them to see. Never had they seen him so happy.

"So this is how he got his elbow grease… Not bad!" Nora gave Naruto a mental thumbs up. She looked at the others, who stared at her. "What? Wouldn't you be motivated to do your best at your job to keep those kids happy? I would. And in the end, I'd bring in the biggest teddy bear they could play with as they marvel at its deadly fluffiness, while I lull them to sleep with my best story EVER! And-" Ruby placed a hand on Nora's mouth.

"Shh…you're ruining the moment."

Nora deflated. "Fine…"

"Well you look like you need help!" The girls looked in the kitchen again. Yang was in there with the intent to help out.

"You wanna?" He asked Yang. "Be my guest. Though, I'll be doing the scrubbing."

Yang shrugged her shoulders. "Fine by me." She said. "But do you think you can handle all that?" She pointed to the ten more stacks of plates, pots, and pans. "Seems like quite the job for one person."

Naruto kept scrubbing without looking away at Yang. "Please. Cleaning up Beacon is more of a hassle. It doesn't help that it's a big place, and I gotta clean up every nook and cranny-"

"Okay." Yang stopped him with a hand. "You made your point." She walked until she was next to him, and offered her hand. Without any words, Naruto handed her the already scrubbed plate, and let her rinse it. Within a minute, Yang's addition to the system increased the efficiency. The built up rhythm to the cleaning smoothed out with her help, and the children took notice.

"Thanks for the help, Big sis!" One cheered.

"Thank you!" The rest of them shouted in sync.

"No problem, kiddos. Let's finish this up quickly eh?" She said to the children, who agreed passionately.

Ten minutes later, Naruto, Yang, and the children were finished with the dishes. The former was in the middle of drying his hands as he talked to one of the little ones. Naruto answered every enthusiastic question the child had with equally enthusiastic replies. One question was about whether or not Naruto was single or not. He playfully patted the child's head, and nodded while he pointed at Yang.

The child walked up to Yang with eyes of curiosity and wonder. "She's very pretty, Big brother."

Yang chuckled at the honest compliment. She lowered herself, and sat on her ankles. "Thank you. You're not bad looking yourself…"

"Rom, Big sis." Rom answered.

"Well Rom…you look like you have questions for me. Do you want to ask?"

Rom fiddled with his shirt. He looked embarrassed to ask. Yang waited patiently for him whereas Naruto encouraged the little boy to ask what he wanted to ask. After ample persuasion, the child asked, "Are you going to marry Big brother?" The question caused a slapping noise to ring out behind Rom; it was Naruto with his face buried into his palm.

Yang smiled at the reaction before she returned her focus on the little boy. "What makes you think that I'll marry him?"

The little boy grew confident in retaliation to the question. "Are you saying you wouldn't?" He puffed his cheeks in an attempt to look furious, but it only made the blonde Huntress-in-training laugh. He had his hair ruffled playfully.

With a gentle expression, she told Rom, "It's not up to me you know. Love isn't that simple." She held Rom's left hand with her right. "I may be his girlfriend now, but nobody knows what the future will hold. I won't know if your big brother and I will stay together; I won't even know if he'll choose to marry me."

"Then why are you wearing a ring?" Rom asked. "Isn't a ring on your finger a sign that you're married or about to be married?"

"It's on the wrong hand, Rom." Naruto explained. "It has to be on the left hand and on the finger right before the pinky to mean that Yang is married." He scratched his head. "Though I could be wrong in different cultures."

Rom looked disappointed. "Oh."

An intruder barged into the conversation by sliding next to Rom. "Ya better not hurt Big brother's heart! If you do I'll-" A flyswatter slapped the newcomer's head. "Ow!"

"Oh? Sorry. There was a fly on your head, and I needed to kill it quickly." Naruto said blankly.

"That's a lie!"

"Prove it, or move it, Rem!" Naruto said with finality. Rem, Rom's obnoxious twin brother, pouted the same way Rem did to Yang. The little boy walked away with Rom in tow.

"I wasn't done yet-" Rom told his brother while he and his twin exited the kitchen.

Naruto sighed and pinched his nose the moment the twins left the kitchen. "Really… They can be such a handful."

"From what I've seen, I think you're going to be okay." Yang said vaguely as she stood up. "I'd say great even considering how much you care for them."

Naruto crossed his arms. "What's _that_ supposed to mean? You think I'd be a good dad or something?"

Yang readied her right hand to count off things, and told him, "You care about your family, you can clean, cook -do basic social functions and teach them to the kids; that's already like a basic understanding of how to be a dad. At least in my opinion." She stared at him. "So what, gonna deny yourself that? Hmmm?"

The blond Faunus took a step back. He didn't how it looked from another person's point of view; he just thought it was typical brotherly behavior. "I…I don't know how to reply to that." Naruto admitted. "But if we're going in this direction, I'd say you'd make a…great mom."

Yang raised an eyebrow at the statement. "Really? What makes you say that?"

"Ruby's is able to survive in society, is relatively well-mannered, and is an all-around joy to hang out with." Naruto said honestly. Yang didn't know where he was going with those words. "Considering both of you were motherless for most of your lives, I'd wager a guess that you took care of Ruby as best as you could while your dad wasn't there. And look at the results: Ruby's growing up nicely."

Yang's expression was that of realization. She looked down. "Yeah…" Yang admitted in a mumble. "I guess you're right in that aspect. I tried my very best to fill the gap our mom left us with. I gave Ruby basic reminders, mannerisms, someone to look up to as a role model." She said softly as she fiddled with her hair. She was unnaturally bashful about the topic; Naruto only guessed that with Yang's personality…'Mom' wasn't something one would describe her. Yang continued on, "I wasn't the best at the last part; I was…still am an impulsive brat to some things. It was a struggle trying to be someone I wasn't, but it was worth it in the end." She smiled gorgeously in his eyes. "Ruby's growing up all right."

Naruto walked closer to her. "Like you said, the future isn't set. We'll only know if our predictions are right when the time comes." He told her as he moved Yang's stray bangs off to the side. "I'd like to think that the future we're thinking about is a ways off." He made his forehead touch Yang's while his hands cupped her cheeks. "Until then, I'll do my best to know you more, please you more-" He moved his head back to look at Yang. "-and love you more than the day before…" He finished before he gave Yang a kiss on the lips.

They parted from each other. Yang looked surprised Naruto took the initiative, but it wasn't unwelcome. "And if we can't keep this up?"

Naruto smiled as he caressed Yang's cheeks. "I'll have a nice memory to remember you by." Without warning he pinched Yang's cheeks to pull them outwards. The bleat Yang made from the action was surprising and and hilarious to Naruto. Yang gripped his arms; she wanted him to let go. Her stifled words were expressed clearly along with the face of annoyance as well as the glowing hair. Yet he didn't let go. "This is for playing with my cheeks, Yang." He said as he pinched harder.

"Oww~ leeeggoooo!" Yang begged.

"Nope." He leaned close. "Not a cha-" Yang punched his gut with enough force to keel a normal person over. Though in Naruto's case, it only earned a grunt. Still, the desired effect was there. He let go of Yang, and he was close enough for a counterattack.

Yang pushed him down to the floor, and pinned him down to prevent any escape. "Payback!" She said sinisterly. Her hands locked onto his sides, and she swiftly poked them. Naruto bucked at the sudden tickle. Yang instantly saw her boyfriend blush up a storm; she found yet another weakness. A mischievous smile etched on her face, Yang left no time to waste, and continued to tickle Naruto. He tried to wriggle away from her relentless assault, but she effectively kept him still. He best he could do was parry the roaming hands, yet even then that was a short-lived attempt. She eagerly continued her retaliation against the helpless Naruto who couldn't help but fall to his weaknesses.

"GET A ROOM/ WOOT! GO GET 'IM!" But it was soon interrupted by annoying surrogate siblings that either wanted them out of the kitchen to retain its purity, or encouraged the two to take the next step. Either way, both teens were caught unaware and were stiff as a statue because they realized their position could be interpreted the wrong way. RWB(Y) was embarrassed with Yang's actions. Nora didn't particularly care for the implications of their pose, and just cheered on. Pyrrha's mind wandered, unable to help fantasizing about a certain blond and a type of kinship that resembled Naruto and Yang's with him.

In the end, what happened in the orphanage was treated as a 'You had to be there' moment. The Beacon inhabitants noticed the clock struck nine, and thought it was the proper time to leave. They all said their goodbyes; Naruto's was the longest one considering he took the time to hug each individual member of the orphanage before he left along with the others.

* * *

Everyone returned to Beacon an hour later. On the way back, Naruto called his caretaker, and told her that he was happy that the orphanage was doing so well. He was also happy that his money he gave to her was well spent; the foundations for the expansion of the orphanage was going well. The conversation strayed from that, and redirected towards his love life to which Naruto quickly shut down from further explanation. All the while, the girls listened in on his conversation, and we're amused by his reactions.

By the time they returned to Beacon and just outside RWBY AND J(NP)R's own rooms, Naruto was handed a box slightly larger than a size ten shoebox in length and width while it's height was that of a hardback science textbook standing up. Ruby said it was a gift then went into the dorm room followed by the rest of her team. Though Yang stayed for a bit to give him a goodnight kiss. She puckered up for him, and let him lean forward as he closed his eyes. Then he realized it was a trap when his cheeks were painfully pulled apart like he did to her earlier. She said it was payback, which he completely understood. Though in the end, he got a kiss on both his reddened cheeks before Yang left to go into her dorm room.

He returned to his room. With the door locked and secure, Naruto stared at the box. He had no idea what Ruby gave him. He wanted to guess, but he had nothing that immediately jumped out to him. At the very least, he thought it was some sort of mechanical thing; he heard its muffled clanks muffled by styrofoam. His left hand, balled into a fist, rested underneath his chin while the other arm supported the left elbow. He deeply thought about what could be inside. "Ruby wouldn't give me a weapon as a gift. That's stupid. Might be in character, but there's nothing that I've done that warrants getting me a weapon as a gift." He moved the box from his desk onto the floor, then sat alongside it. "Might as well unbox it instead of wondering like an idiot." He mumbled.

Unboxing was quite easy. Everything was secured in styrofoam frames. There were three layers; one had a pair of small, circular, orange objects that were most likely custom-built due to the fact his self-made emblem of a lion with a burning mane was there. He pulled that layer, and moved it off to the side. The second layer had two pairs of...something that looked like head(band/phones), but far too narrow to fit anybody's head. The band that connected two circular disks and everything else was far too thick -almost like armor; the disks themselves were quite sharp and dome-shaped -like tiny shields. Upon closer inspection, there was something probably hidden inside the disk. Then he looked at its most posterior piece. It was the bulkiest part. It was mainly a rectangular block with a hook on top as if it was meant to latch onto something. It had some mechanism on it, but he had no idea what it was. Just below that block, a small pad. He moved on, and looked at the last layer: A set of crystal Burn Dust good for one month of burning. He lowered the Dust, stepped back, and pinched his forehead. ' _What the heck did you get me, Ruby?! Are you trying to make me an arsonist?!_ ' He asked himself.

He looked into the box to see if there was anything left, and much to his surprise, there was. A note. He stared blankly at it. His palm massaged his forehead as he grumbled about the ordering of the contents in the box. He took the note, and read it. As he read it, his face turned to disappointment. "She's really making me an arsonist." He mumbled. The blond gathered the contents of the box, and returned it to its rightful place inside it. He carried the box in his arms, and exited the room.

A minute later, he dropped the box on the cemented rooftop. He unloaded the box contents, as he reread the note. First layer was purely cosmetic and not at all integral to anything combat related; it was a pair of wireless earphones that hooked behind his ear as well as adhere to his skin for secure placement. Apparently, it delivered on raising the bass level compared to most headphone/earphone products. He had a hunch he'd enjoy listening to his 'Cleaning' playlist much more with this gift. He put it on, and was surprised it fit him well. Even more surprising, a piece of it flew out to connect to his cat ears to plug it!

' _Why do I feel like I'm potentially dealing with a deathtrap?_ '

He moved on to the weird things with disks on them. Turns out, they weren't headphones. They were footgear. He didn't read much into it except how to put it on. First, he unlatched the rectangular blocks, then allowed the rest of it to wrap around his shoes. He reattached the blocks, and let it hook at the backs of his shoe's openings. Once again, he was surprised with how well it fit him. Still it felt somewhat loose. He held the back of his right shoe with his fingers, then let go. The impact of toe to ground made the thing go ballistic. The piece of armor that his his shoelaces and all that stuff reached over to the front of his shoe to cover it in armor. The discs were now further secured to his shoe. Shocked by the transformation, he stomped his right foot to the floor hard.

Saw blades sprouted at the edges of the discs, and spun at a rapid pace. Sparks flew off as the blades cleaved the floor. It's piercing screech didn't affect Naruto one bit most likely due to the headgear that covered both sets of his ears. He raised his right foot up by the toes. The blades stopped their rotation. "Yep...a death trap." He mumbled. "Now how do I return it to normal?" He looked for a button, but failed to see anything for minutes.

The rooftop door behind him opened. He turned around. "Oh! Good evening, Pyrrha."

"Naruto..." The red-haired Huntress-in-training was surprised the blond was out here in the rooftop. "I thought the rooftop was vacant, but it seems my hunch was wrong." She took a step back.

Naruto frowned. "Hey now. You don't need to leave. In fact I'd like to have some company right now." He said truthfully. "After looking at Ruby's dangerous gift, I'd want something to get my mind off it." He tapped his right shoe toe end first on the floor. "As you can see-" The footgear deactivated, its layers or armor folded just where the tongue and lacing of his shoes were. He was silent for a few seconds. "Huh...so that's how you turn it off."

"That's Ruby's gift?" Pyrrha asked. "It looked harmless."

"Um..." He scratched his left cheek. "Shall I...demonstrate?" He watched Pyrrha nod. First his left, then his right. Both footgear were activated with a tap of the toes that met a surface. With him at his tippy toes, he warned Pyrrha about the noise. She told him it was fine. He sighed before he let his heels touch the ground. The saw blades returned to their cutting alongside their byproduct of horrendous screeching. The sound alone was enough to make Pyrrha collapse down to one knee. Naruto stopped to deactivate the loud weapons. "I gotta say...I don't think the sound was supposed to be its main point in its design, but it is effective. I haven't even used the Burn Dust yet." He walked up to Pyrrha, and offered a hand. "I'd like to guess that using that does more than marks on pavement."

Pyrrha took Naruto's hand, and pulled herself up. "Burn Dust? Ruby knows to complement your style."

"She's making me an arsonist." He pouted.

"You mean you aren't already?" Pyrrha asked.

He pouted even further to the point he mimicked his surrogate little brother, Rom, in technique. "Now that's just mean." He whined, and walked back and forth as he scratched the back of his head. "I'd like to think I got a better handle on my control of fire unlike people who just want to watch the world burn." He looked at Pyrrha. "I do have better control now, right?"

Pyrrha nodded. "You have." She told him. "Not once have I seen such proficiency with it. You show its brute force, yet also its illuminating beauty." She complimented his display. Though in the back of her mind, she thought of that girl in the pictures with Naruto. The one he lost due to lack of control. She couldn't help but say, "Most of all...you don't burn anyone with it..." The last sentence kept Naruto silent. Pyrrha didn't know what to make of that reaction. She hoped he hadn't returned to a depressed state; moreover, she didn't have the keen eye to tell if he was.

"Thanks." She heard him mumble. It became a little more audible when he repeated it. "Really. Thanks a lot. Those words mean more than you can imagine." He gave her a big smile only a extraordinarily grateful person could give. It was a beaming smile that befit him quite well in her opinion. There wasn't a shred of sorrow in there.

"You're welcome, Naruto." She told him. "You should be proud of your abilities; don't shut them out."

"I won't. Promise. I won't make the same mistake as before." He turned around to face the moon. His shoulders were relaxed while his hands were in his pockets. The atmosphere around him was much more pleasant. Then, Pyrrha heard him mumble, "I owe her that much." His mood quickly changed. "So! What brings you here at this hour, Pyrrha? Going to the roof means you want to be alone in your thoughts." Naruto walked closer to the edge of the roof. "May I?" He asked.

Pyrrha understood the question. She understood that Naruto wanted her permission to know her troubles. "Are you that confident you can help me?" She asked him.

"Nope."

Pyrrha wasn't surprised by the answer. "Then why?"

"Because you helped me before?" He wasn't sure of his answer, though it was enough to remind Pyrrha of what she'd done for Naruto a while back. He stuck with the answer, and explained it a bit further. "I had problems that you helped me through little by little. What I saw today when we were in Vale assured me you had problems." He pulled his hands out of his pockets, and put them on his sides. He seemed to raise himself up a little more; it looked like he puffed his chest out in confidence. "And...if I can help no matter how big or small the part, then I've repaid your efforts." He turned his head, and tilted it back. "So. Once again, may I listen to your troubles?" He asked politely and clearly.

Pyrrha stood by his side. "Yes you may."

They stood there in silence for a minute or two. "Well? You gonna spill?" Naruto's casual tone returned.

Pyrrha gave an imperceptible frown. "It's...it's about Jaune."

Naruto sighed. "So it's him. I had a feeling." Pyrrha glanced over, and saw him smirk. "Makes sense. He's the only one you give most of your time to. It sounds like a little like a storybook tale. Someone held in high regards falls in love with one considered at the bottom."

Pyrrha didn't like the accusation. She turned her body to face him directly. "He's my partner! Of course I'll give most of my time to him. What kind of partner would I be if I didnt?" Her face heated up as her mind thought of the next thing she wanted to say. "And what's this about falling in love?!"

"Look. You're not fooling anyone, Pyrrha. If you want Jaune to notice you as a young woman that's in love with him, then just go tell him."

"...Wow. An advice I hadn't heard of yet." Pyrrha responded. "Please. Go on and entertain me with your sagely wisdom."

Naruto winced. He placed a hand on his chest; he felt like his ego was stabbed. "Sarcasm? From you? Ow. Unexpected. It hurt a lot more than it should have." He took a few steps back as he furiously rubbed his head. "All I'm saying is that waiting might leave some bitterness. With the way things are progressing, you'll probably wait for a long while, Pyrrha. Jaune's the type of guy that is solely dedicated to one girl -to Weiss. He doesn't necessarily ignore others, but he's the type who sticks to the one who has his heart. It's both a charm and curse of his to be so loyal. Either you shake him up by telling him how you feel, or you wait -for who knows how long- until you lost that love for him."

"..."

"Can you handle that, Pyrrha?" Naruto asked. "Can you wait that long for him? Is your heart that strong enough?" He heard nothing from the redhead. "...There's no harm in telling. Heck, if you don't want to tell him, just ask him to the dance to be your partner." He shrugged his shoulders. "Could be a starting point, don't you think?" Still, Pyrrha didn't speak. He groaned. "How about this. If Jaune isn't your partner, you can order me to do ONE thing -anything- for the night. Is that good enough for a reason?"

"If Jaune is not my partner for the dance...will you dance with me?"

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. "Eh? What was that?"

Pyrrha took her eyes off of Naruto, and found the ground much more appealing. "I asked if you'd dance with me if Jaune doesn't. Is there something wrong with that?"

Naruto walked up to her, and poked her forehead. "What's wrong is that you're already looking at the worst case scenario." Naruto told her bluntly. He poked her forehead again as he said, "You're not even considering the chance that he'll agree!" He kept poking her head to drill it into her head that, "You're already giving up. That's not the Pyrrha I know."

"That's not what I meant by asking at all!" Pyrrha told him. "That is my..." She trailed off.

Naruto clasped Pyrrha's left shoulder. "No matter how you spin it, you already telling me what to do in the case Jaune doesn't become your dance partner." Pyrrha noted how soft his voice was. "No, Pyrrha. I want you to try!" He urged her. "Try!" His hand on her shoulder tightened into a firm grip. "Will you do that? Please?"

Pyrrha took a while to answer. In the end, she nodded and said, "I will."

He smiled. "Good! That's all I ask. I hope that's enough advice and help for you."

"It's ample, Naruto." She turned to the night sky. "Why don't we appreciate the-" She was cut off by the sight that begged to be looked at.

Naruto was curious. He too looked at the direction Pyrrha did. What they both saw was none other than a total lunar eclipse. The shattered moon's surface was red as blood. Entrancing to some, horrible to others. To Pyrrha, it was nothing more than a marvel of nature. And for Naruto himself...he didn't know what to think of it. His eyes were lost in that red -hypnotized by it. He stared long enough, and swore he saw something on its surface...

Naruto fell to his knees.

"Naruto?!"

Unfortunately, he didn't hear her. His eyes of blue were glazed like ice. They were unfocused, empty, and lifeless. He kept staring at that moon, and saw a black dot at its center. Slowly that lone dot was accompanied by three beads that revolved around it. Those beads continued to revolve and revolve, slowly increasing in speed.

 _ **|{P &"?!%^&*)#~`+_{\\]{**_

What he saw next was a flash of light in which the night sky was blotted by enormous meteors about to collide with the earth. He looked down, where his arms conjured a black sphere of raw energy compacted to a critical mass. He felt himself pour his all into crafting the sphere into its most destructive limit. Every fiber of his being screamed and screeched to stop, yet he continued to pour his life into it. His body shuddered -unstable from the effort. He resorted to yelling to ignore the pain of a thousand blades that seemed to stab at every angle. And as he yelled, his eyes locked onto that red moon with that strange design.

 _ **|{":!*^%_)$ ?,.**_

That red moon zoom out to show it was an eye. It was the most peculiar eye that he ever saw, and it belonged to that black-haired boy. His body felt weightless as that boy held him by the collar of his jacket. Body, numb from head to toe with pain, struggled to move. He could feel his blood boil at the sight of those eyes. His clenched teeth bared fangs. His callused and strained fingers bore claws. His hair became disheveled and frenzied. His own eyes turned red. All of his hate poured out of those eyes...those beastly eyes of his. Then his ears finally registered a familiar sound; the chirping a of a thousand birds.

Then the sound of torn flesh.

 _ **You're quite weak aren't you, kid? Hehehehehe... You better be grateful to me and the Fourth**_ ** _Hokage, who contained me within the likes of you!_**

* * *

Qrow looked at his surroundings. "Things are never that simple, are they?" He asked no one but himself as he looked at the ruins of Mountain Glenn's underground city. The fact that the place had little to no lighting aside from a few Dust ores that lined the ceiling made it difficult to navigate the area. Every now and then, he'd stumble on debris from the events that led to the end of Mountain Glenn's population. While not a total hindrance to his overall search, the lack of distinguishing caverns that led deeper into the mountain only made Qrow's search more tiresome.

He stopped for a moment, and chugged some of his liquor. "How am I supposed to look for a mythical village that lived Oum knows how long when I'm already in a ruin?" He asked himself. "It'd actually be great if she gave directions to this thing." He sighed. "But that'd be too much of wishful thinking considering her…"

He continued to walk while he inspected the ruined area. Whatever paint the walls had were stripped away with age. Anything that was an architectural marvel for an environment like this was torn down. Anything remotely living were small animals; none among them were Human or Faunus. Anything that was remotely humanoid were the bones scattered about in this desolate land. The pervading sense of dread did not once faze Qrow; however, he couldn't help but feel sorry for those that suffered through this unprecedented mistake.

He searched for hours. He circled the cavern walls of the ruined city. None aside from the abandoned train tunnels were possible places to find the elusive mythical village. He searched in its sewers, and merely found disjointed sections that were impossible to pass through or cross to head deeper into the earth.

He slowed his pace when he noticed a church that mostly stood. Few, if any pieces were out of place. A few bricks and roof tiles were jostled out of their positions, but not enough to structurally compromise the building. Those that littered the ground were insignificant pieces that didn't jeopardize the building's structure. While he wasn't a religious, he still held little respect for places of worship. He closed his eyes, and reminisced of a nun, who cared about him enough to help him get out of trouble. Raven was the more responsible one, and really didn't need the adult supervision between them. The nun was a young one, probably in her early to mid thirties back then; he thought of her as a second mother. Just because of that fleeting memory, he decided to go in to look at the status of the place.

The church was mostly undisturbed. The pews were the only thing that made the place look ransacked. And the other peculiar thing about the church was the garden in the middle of the it, where an opening to the surface allowed moonlight to grace the flowers that grew in this unfavorable setting. ' _Nature always finds a way, eh?_ ' He went towards the center of the church, clapped his hands together, and gave a silent prayer for the departed.

As he prayed, he noticed the moon's light changed hues. The Holy-looking light transformed into a corrupted color. It's change was clearly seen on the garden, which resembled more of a blood-soaked one rather than its original and pure state. Qrow wasn't aware of a lunar eclipse happening tonight, and it was quite a surprise for him. To him, a lunar eclipse was a bad omen. It wasn't based on his own experiences, but rather his belief of the _Tome of Beginnings._ To Qrow, a red moon was disaster waiting to happen.

Qrow left the church. If he saw the eclipse, then Raven did too. He wondered what she thought of it, and hoped she wanted to prevent whatever disaster was about to come in the near future. As an exertion of caution, Qrow took out his weapon, and continued his search for the village of myth.

* * *

' _A red moon...how worrying are you._ ' Ozpin thought to himself. His gaze was locked into the starry night blemished with the blood red heavenly body. He was no stranger to the superstitions about lunar eclipses. Any normal person would gaze in awe; however, he was quite wary of it. He was among the people that were unnerved by the natural event. He was also unnaturally perplexed because he didn't know what to make of it. Part of him wanted to believe it was nothing more than coincidence. Part of him also believed it was foolish to ignore the legend, or rather the event that nearly ended the precursor era.

He stood up from his chair. "A compromise is in order..." He muttered. ' _During this calm before the inevitable storm...we must-_ ' His thoughts were jostled around when he felt the floor rumbled violently. He turned to his desk to inspect damages. Other than the main courtyard, nothing was damaged. Yet. His fingers tapped the desk's surface rapidly. Holoscreen after holoscreen materialized to give Ozpin a visual to the threat. He feared the massive seismic shock alerted everyone, but it wasn't what he was most afraid of.

-Incoming call-

Ironwood

"Ye-"

" _What was that explosion, Oz?!_ "

"I'm trying to find out!" Ozpin answered frantically. "The cameras are either disabled or aren't in the area! Nothing is showing up on-" Ozpin paused. His eyes observed one specific camera. He tapped that one, and made it replay what he thought was a trick of the eyes in slow-motion. Frame by frame, Ozpin looked intently. When it came into view, it only stayed on the screen for a few frames. He set it to a larger set of frames per second. The object there stayed on screen longer. When it was at the middle, Ozpin paused the replay. The Beacon Campus shook again.

" _Ozpin! Tell me what's going on!_ "

Ozpin couldn't answer. Not when he was too stupefied by the sight. It was a fox as large as a human. More specifically, it was a fox bathed in the Sky Flame -Naruto's flame. ' _A cloak?! In the form of a fox?!_ '

* * *

Pyrrha didn't know what happened. Naruto collapsed to his knees, clutched his chest, then cried out in agony. She tried to calm him down, but he wasn't listening to her, nor did he let her near him. The air around him was scorching as if the worst summer heatwave at an active volcano surrounded him in a dome. Pyrrha felt her hand cook even with her Aura's protection. Then, without warning, Naruto glowed into a blinding bright source of light. She braced herself from the light that seemed to seep through her arms and eyelids. The next thing that happened was that she heard the sound of an explosion in the direction of the main courtyard.

She relaxed, and lowered her arms only to find Naruto not in front of her. She looked left, right, below at the rooftop's edge, above in the night sky; however, he wasn't in her immediate line of sight. The only clue that told her that he was here with her was the lingering, scorching heat that was once around Naruto. ' _What happened, Naruto?!_ ' She asked herself. Another explosion rocked the east side of Beacon. She snapped her head towards the disturbance. Her eyes full of worry scanned the area for anything that moved. When she found an orange dot that glowed in contrast to the dark horizon, her heart stopped.

She didn't know how, but she just knew that what she saw was Naruto. But instead of that earnest and compassionate Janitor and friend that she knew...all she could look at was the beast that roared its sorrowful soul into the night sky.

 _ **And done! What do you think, guys? Was this enjoyable? I hope so. And I also hope this is a start of a different direction; though I've a feeling I'll fall back on canon RWBY events since I'll tell you now...I can be lazy and...yeah just lazy.**_

 _ **Review, follow, favorite, I don't care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	36. Roar Into the Heavens Thy Despair

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 32: Roar Into the Heavens Thy Despair

Four pairs of eyes watched the red moon from their location. Such a sight struck fear into them; however, they pulled through. Their minds thought alike. And what they thought of was that of gold. Not gold as an expensive mineral aside from rare Dust ores, but rather the color, and what it represented to them. To the four, they thought of someone, whose smile was worth as much, if not more than gold. They didn't know who they thought of. They never felt this before. They wondered who this person was, and feared for him or her.

Because not only did they feel relief at the thought of him or her, but also they feared what may have happened to this person.

* * *

"Milady." A young man lowered himself to one knee out of respect for the one he addressed. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." Said a young woman with blank, lilac -almost white- eyes. Though in reality she wasn't. She knew something wasn't right. Her very soul quivered. Yet she shook those feelings aside to converse properly. "Though you know you don't have to be so formal. You are my cousin after all."

"Nonsense!" Told the young man. "The daughter of a Councilman must be treated with the utmost respect!"

"…You never change." She sighed. "But I guess it's a charm of yours." She turned around. "Come. I'm sure you checked up on me because of dinner, yes?" The young man nodded. "Any idea on what they're serving?"

* * *

Another young woman snapped her head towards the main entrance. A man entered the building, and dropped a bag of ores on her desk. "Big haul eh? You got that just from one dig?"

"Who the hell do you think I am?" The man asked rhetorically. The phrase earned a smile from the young woman. "Hopefully that's good enough to last you a week of forging. Though with how wasteful you can be sometimes because of your ambitious weapon projects, I don't know." Said the man. The young woman inspected the rather large bag. Ore after ore was subject to an in-depth identification test as well as a purity test. As she did so, the man asked, "…When I came in here, I caught you off-guard. Rare sight, in my opinion. Anything going on?"

She looked at him for a few seconds. "No…" She said as she fiddled with the buns of her hair. "No. Nothing's wrong, Master Simon." She shuffled out of her seat, and grabbed the ores. "Well…I guess I should sort these out for tomorrow's projects. Gotta make it easier on myself to make those next batch of weapons. Good night."

"…Night, Tenshi."

* * *

"Miss Nurse?" A child asked a young woman in a nurse's outfit. "Did you remember something?"

The woman's jade green eyes looked at the child. She brushed off a stray bang off to the side, and said, "Yes. I…I remembered that I have something important to do later."

"What is it?"

She patted the child's head. "Nothing you should worry about. Now rest, okay? You'll need it if you want to get out of the hospital." The child accepted the request, and said goodnight to the nurse.

* * *

"Ino!" The young woman in question blinked as Shikamaru shook her back into reality. "Ino! Did you hear that?!" She shook her head. "Something crash landed. Something powerful. Can you use your Semblance to find out what it is? It's by the main courtyard."

Still shook up by the feeling in her soul, she weakly said, "Sure. I'll try." She closed her eyes, and sent her mind towards the direction of the disturbance. Her consciousness snapped towards a living being there, and rushed at it.

The moment her consciousness connected with whatever it was, she screamed her head off before she fainted.

* * *

The main courtyard exploded. Dust and debris covered the impact zone. However, even in the cover of dense particles, the one that caused the explosion wasn't hidden by any means. Its blinding glow seeped through. When the dust and rubble settled, its form was clearly visible. Its body was engulfed in billowing flames. Those very flames were morphed to form the silhouette of a fox with limbs like that of a humanoid being. Down to the snout and tail, one can easily say it was made in the form of a ravenous beast.

It slammed its head into the ground repeatedly as it tried its best to drown out the roars, the screams, and the memories that ambushed its mind. Mindlessly, it thrashed left and right to rid itself of the pain, yet nothing was remotely effective in quelling it. It seethed at the crackle of lightning. It snarled at the memory of being impaled. It punched a small crevice at the ground as it remembered those eyes. Then it roared thunderously at the memory of a woman in white. Its fury was revitalized. The ground it stood on was pulverized to dust; clawed into deeply; and terraformed to have small hills of brick and soil.

A loud crash rang from behind. It snapped its head toward the sound. Nothing out of the ordinary. Slowly, it strafed around the statue that decorated the main courtyard. Like a predator that stalked its prey, it was as silent as possible. It snarled the moment it saw something different; an open locker. It cautiously inspected the locker. From top to bottom, nothing was there.

Its ears picked up a sound directly behind the locker, but that wasn't immediately acted upon because of another noise. A blast of air boomed above it. Quickly, it stepped back, and allowed the attacker to fall into his or her locker. The beast slammed the door shut on the locker so hard it dislodged itself from the ground. It grabbed the block of metal, and hammered it into the ground repeatedly to the point its three-dimensional shape came ever closer to a two-dimensional one. Satisfied, it chucked the locker eastward towards the third year building.

* * *

Weiss and Neptune were startled by the sound of an explosion. Instincts as warriors overrode whatever they thought of just before. Though Weiss was disappointed that something had to interrupt her time with Neptune. Still, there was pressing matters to attend to. Both of them called their lockers. The didn't have their equipment on them since there wasn't really a need to hold onto them on a peaceful campus. Plus, they were extra weight (no matter how trivial or compact they are) to carry. Once equipped, the two searched for what may have caused the ruckus. They didn't need to look far when a metal block flew past them.

Neptune stood in front of Weiss to act as her shield due to that sudden intrusion.

"What was that?!" She shouted in surprise.

Neptune had a confused look on his face. "…I think that was a locker. A beaten down one." As soon as Neptune said that, a locker landed beside them. The two were in for a shock, and walked away for several steps. Neptune voiced out his surprise. "The heck?! Who would-" He looked at the one who opened the locker, "Jaune?"

"Jaune? What are you doing here?" Weiss asked from behind Neptune.

Jaune looked at the two of them with a blank expression on his face. Soon it was replaced with an expression of seriousness. "I was in the middle of a nightly stroll when I heard that explosion. Turns out there's something more to it if we just saw our Academy's locker get thrown away like a rock." He pulled out his sword and shield before he closed the locker.

Weiss noticed something wrong with Jaune. He wasn't the type to be gung-ho (if you could call it that) about a threat. She saw it in his face that there wasn't a hint of fear in his voice. Or rather…he focused on this single event as if to block anything else out. Even stranger, he forgot to take his armor to put it on. She addressed this problem to him.

"I think I can handle a few hits." He told her. "Besides, we can always work together to cover our weaknesses, alright?" He gave the two a smile. A fake one; Weiss knew it was fake despite how professionally executed it was. The moment Jaune took off towards the beaten locker, Weiss saw a fresh white tulip on the ground.

She stood there paralyzed. Jaune looked for her to try to ask her to the dance after his botched up attempt earlier when she and her team got back. Weiss continued to look at that flower, and understood. For the first time, she understood why he was so persistent. His feelings for her were as pure as the white tulip he planned on giving to her.

She knew the moment she saw Jaune, that he was more of a farm boy than anything. While it doesn't mean much other than the fact he lacked the skill to fight properly, it also meant there was a little bit of knowledge that he had to have picked up on flowers. It was why she asked him to give ideas on what flora to use for the dance coming up on the weekend. And like she hypothesized, he knew enough to surprise her. Even taught her something.

He taught her that aside from the simplicity a white tulip had, it also meant purity, newness, and heaven. He also taught her that sometimes white and cream colored tulips have shades in between the two. To which, he revealed out of relevance that she shouldn't ever pick a cream color because it meant that the giver loved the receiver 'forever'.

Weiss felt a hand tug at her own left hand. "Weiss? Come on, we gotta go inspect that locker, and what struck it." Weiss nodded wordlessly, and the two ran after Jaune, who was already at the beaten locker.

Jaune wedged the locker door with the tip of his sword. Then with a bit of force, broke it open. He was surprised to see someone was inside. Even more surprising, "Eh? The leader of the Atlesian team that attacked Naruto? What are you doing in there?" Weiss and Neptune arrived in time to hear his next question. "What's attacking the campus?"

The Atlesian fighter managed to sit up. "B-Behind you!" He shouted.

Jaune wasted no time questioning the warning. He turned to his left, and swung his arm. His shield met something; however, he couldn't tell what it was. He proceeded to turn, and let the attacker's momentum shoot him or her away from him and the rest of the group. When it landed, he was surprised to see it wasn't a Grimm nor a humanoid being. It was something else.

He shook his head. ' _No… Not 'something'._ Someone!' He thought. He recognized the attacker immediately. It was stupid of him if he didn't. He knew that particular shade of fire. Even if one could argue that the hue was like any other, Jaune knew very well how that flame felt against his body. "…Naruto."

"What?!" Weiss shouted. "You've got to be joking, Jaune. How is that thing Naruto?"

"Wait. Naruto… Is that the guy Sun talked about? The Janitor?"

Jaune ignored Neptune's question. "…Look at the elbows." He said to everyone.

The group did as told. They watched it punch the ground, but not before it fired off a pillar of flame out of its elbows to fire the fist into the earth. It was proof enough to Jaune and Weiss as well as the weakened Atlesian leader, Alabaster, of the attacker's identity.

Question was: What made Naruto become a mindless beast that ran rampant with his Aura taking the form of a fox?

A blue streak of light flew past Weiss's left ear. But it wasn't the only one. Several more flew past her as they headed for the beast she now knew was Naruto in the flesh. She watched Naruto leaped to great heights. He landed on the rooftop of the building behind him, and roared as loudly as possible. The sound of engines made Weiss look behind her.

"Lavendel!" Alabaster, the Atleasian, shouted at his teammate through the use of his Scroll. "Watch your fire and take caution! We don't know if he can still fly!"

" _He?_ "

Weiss took the Scroll. "That's the Faunus you shot at during the Paladin incident!" She shouted at the flyer.

" _Eh?_ "

* * *

The beast roared. Its mouth was as wide as possible to the point it almost resembled a snake with its jaw unhinged. Its fury increased tenfold as it laid its eyes upon the sight of that purple clad flyer. It knew nothing of what was true or not; its vision was corrupted. It either took the form of someone in purple armor or an aura crafted into the form of a person in armor with wings longer than its arms. It was only reminded of those damnable eyes. It roared louder. And this time it was aimed at the pest in the sky.

It leaped towards the Atlesian with surprising speed. However, it missed. Its prey knew this too. Though it knew she forgot something quite trivial, yet important all the same. A tail caught the purple pest by the waist. The sudden grab surprised its prey into a stunned panic. Sure there was resistance as she attempted to fly away from its grasp; however, it was all for naught because it spun in the air repeatedly into its descent just before it chucked her down to the ground. There was no time for its prey to recover. It descended upon the annoyance with a hammering fist that cratered the earth beneath the two. A second chance was open after that, though that thought was squashed by a hammer of a fist to the chest. She tried once more, but it simply repeated its actions to its prey. When the dust cleared, it was shot at by another annoyance with blue hair. Its new target was acquired.

It dashed towards its new target haphazardly. But before it gained any progress, a pillar of water pinned it with its weight. Soon, that water turned to ice, and it failed to budge when trapped in the icy prison. Despite its immobile state, it heard the one that made this cold shackle.

* * *

"Target secure! Lady Schnee, I'd appreciate assistance." Said the second member of team ARBL, River. She stood atop her pillar of ice created by her weapon of choice: a surfboard. She looked down at the young woman in white, "Please. From what I've seen, it'll be a matter of time before it breaks out of the Freeze Dust. A Glyph will go a long way!"

Weiss looked at the Atlesian that asked for her help. She knew what the Atlesian said was truth. The beast that was Naruto had too much brute strength; an ice prison made of Dust can't last. Not for long. Weiss stared at Naruto's frozen form, and felt conflicted. Those beastly eyes radiated fury of which she'd never experienced firsthand. It was a raw emotion that overwhelmed Weiss. She took a step forward. Naruto's eyes locked onto her. A paralyzing chill ran along her spine. That raw emotion she felt converged on her. Naruto's fury was aimed at her, and for a reason she didn't know.

What she did know was that Naruto needed to be at peace. She needed to give him tranquility. Steel resolve allowed her to pull Myrtenaster from her side. She flared her Aura and the flame bestowed upon her on her blade. Her sword's blade glowed blue like water's surface. ' _Return to your normal self, Naruto!_ ' She pleaded internally with her firm grip on her weapon slowly increasing in constriction in her left hand. She held her blade in a reverse grip before she stabbed it into the ground.

A giant glyph emerged underneath the pillar of ice. The sudden inclusion of a glyph prompted River to leap off of her creation to not be in the crossfire. Nine fiery rings of water, each slightly larger in circumference with the glyph being the larges one in size, wrapped around the ice. The rings expanded in size in waves that pulsated much like a heartbeat. Soon the flames Weiss created engulfed the ice. With a twist of her blade, Weiss froze her flames.

Behind her, she overheard the final member of the Atlesian team worry over her leader. A small exchange on the topic of the leader's status was quickly dismissed in favor of the threat Weiss immobilized.

Neptune was quite surprised by the display. "Y-You did it!" He exclaimed.

Jaune stood by Weiss's side. "You okay? Looked like a lot of effort."

Weiss stood up with that usual trained poise. "I'm fine, Jaune. Though I fear my efforts are wasted." The fury that was aimed towards her grew tenfold. It was immobilizing and fearsome; however, Weiss still didn't understand why was such hate aimed at her. The two of them sorted out their issues, so why did Naruto have this feral rage? What caused this transformation?

The ice that bounded Naruto into place cracked. Her fears were rightfully placed.

* * *

The moment the beast laid its eyes on that woman in white with the red moon behind her, its blood boiled. That damnable woman was the cause! Its friends were gone all because of her! Every muscle in its body roared to move. Its power seeped through its fingers. Its hands glowed with an awesome, yet fearsome power. Its burning grip melted the ice. Fists clenched, two pairs of jetted flame tore through the ice. Propelled by its flames, the beast charged at that woman despite its hindered state. Clad in ice, it hoped to barrel through its obstacles by brute force.

However, that fool that tried to surprise it came forward with cocked fist in tow. The two made contact with a mighty impact. Yet much to its surprise, both of them refused to move; the pest stopped its advance. And he did so by embedding his feet into the ground through a super concentrated blast of air to anchor him. That alone confused the beast from further moving with its propulsion through flame. Given the chance because of its confusion, the pest gave a left hook that shoved the beast away along with a chunk of the ice. When it stopped sliding away, it realized it could move somewhat.

It tore through the ice, and let it's right hand claw the ground. The searing heat of its skin, finally exposed from the ice, steamed in the crisp night air. A stray name was tied to that woman. ' _Ka...uy..._ ' It mentally muttered. The utter of the name raised its fury. It pushed its left hand through the ice. Then the rest of its body broke through. Upon release, it roared to the heavens; its despair, rage, and hate clearly expressed for all to hear. The air around it burned. Stray embers floated around it while a tiny blaze scorched the grass. Its rage swelled to new levels. It lashed out even more like a feral beast because it hated what was reminded. Its emotions were erratic because of the memories forced upon without consent.

The area around it suffered its wrath much like the land did during the battle that replayed in its head. And proportional to the amount of rage it released, eight more tails emerged to give total of nine. It presented its new additions much like a peacock, and it stared at their dumbfounded expressions before it roared at them. " **KAAAAAHGGGRRRHHHAAAAA-#^$%^ &*(:}{=-[],/.{P!**"

* * *

What sounded like gibberish to most was three incoherent syllables to Jaune. And it was obvious enough to him that Naruto's eyes were targeted at Weiss. Jaune wanted to know why out of all the people Naruto lashed out at, Weiss was the one that got the worst reaction. ' _Who did Naruto hate with such a passion that he'd mistake Weiss for whoever?_ ' He asked himself. Naruto charged, which broke Jaune out of his thoughts. The Arc knew he wasn't quick, but he was the closest to Weiss. ' _I'm the only one that can't get hurt by stopping him either..._ ' Jaune bolted in front of Weiss, who was shocked by his action.

"What are you doing?!" Weiss shouted.

"Stay behind me!" Jaune ordered.

"You'll-"

"Trust me!" Jaune shouted as he raised his shield, and pushed forward to make contact with Naruto's fist.

Weiss expected Jaune to fly away. Despite progress, Jaune didn't have the strength to counter Naruto's brutish blows. It'd take a miracle for him to just remain standing after one attack. So when she heard the loudest explosion yet, she readily expected Jaune to be by the main courtyard or at least far behind her. What she got instead was a visible shockwave of flames and power. And at its epicenter, Jaune stood valiantly with his mighty shield.

Jaune used his Semblance. Though instead of pushing Naruto away, Jaune made the energy fly outwards from the point of impact. It resulted in a trench just in front of Jaune's feet along with a depression on the third year building's walls. Though he cared little for that. He cared that Naruto was open! Jaune firmly gripped his sword, and slashed at Naruto the moment he moved his shield to the left. The sword failed to cut through the Aura of flames. Though he didn't falter. He gave a flurry of slashes with a speed he never knew he had. The blade dug as deep as it could go against the protective force. But he knew his offensive presence wasn't going to last. He brought his shield up to the fox head like an uppercut. "Any takers?!" He asked.

"Watch your head!" Neptune warned. Jaune ducked and moved out of the way. The blue-haired Haven student swung his Guandao at Naruto's chest. He kept the momentum of the swing alive by spinning it around his neck to keep up his combo of horizontal swings. When he stopped, he spun in place while he twirled his polearm once before he swung it down on Naruto's head like an axe. The impact of head to ground was enough to make Naruto bounce off of it. It gave Neptune a chance to change his weapon into gun form to unload a full clip of Shock Dust. He whistled someone over as a signal that he's done with his attack.

"Coming through!" Said the Atlesian surfer, who rode on her hovering surfboard with blades attached to the sides. Her back foot repositioned so that her toes and heel were perpendicular to the sides of the board, and made the board spin clockwise rapidly. It was intentional on her part, and allowed her multiple hits as if she was a human saw blade. She spun faster and faster, and managed to stay on her board only because her shoes were magnetized to it. Her front foot pressed down, and released water from the Dust fitted underneath the board. Not a moment too soon, she twisted her foot to make it parallel to her back foot; the result lead to a spiral dome of ice. She pushed off of the ice, and took the board off of her feet. Her hand met a panel on at the middle of her board, and compacted it to something else entirely. She showed her weapon's other form, a trident. She looked at Neptune. "Blue dude! Tag team!" She landed next to him, and watched as his Guandao split into a trident. She whistled. "Never mind. I'm calling you, Trident buddy. Let's do this!" The pair of trident users repeatedly stabbed through the ice, and chiseled away at what they hoped was Naruto's Aura.

"River, swap out!" Alabaster ordered. The trident users stepped aside the moment they heard a blast behind them. Alabaster cocked a fist, and punched Naruto's fox face to the ground. The impact bounced the beast-like Naruto off of the ground. Alabaster threw a flurry of what normal people considered devastating blows. His punches were cannons. Every hit displaced the air. His pilebunkers, attached to his forearms were the cause of such displacement. Compressed air ejected out of the back like cannons. The nail propelled by such a force quadrupled the Atlesian's striking power. Each blow pushed his opponent away. So in order to stop that, he stepped on one of Naruto's feet. "Braende! Double time!"

The final member of the team went behind Naruto, and added to the pummeling. Her palms, coated by Burn Dust, struck joints, spine, shoulder blades, and nape in rapid and consecutive successions. In conjunction with Alabaster's crippling strikes, Braende's strategic placement could render movement useless normally. This wasn't one of those circumstances, and both knew the situation was such. Every blow was calculated to aim for potential weaknesses that never appeared. The best either hoped for was any of their attacks to visibly affect Naruto's ominous cloak of Aura. "Al, permission to use?" She shouted as she continued her assault.

"Are you positive?"

"Yes!"

Alabaster gave a deafening left uppercut to Naruto's stomach. "Use it!" He shouted before he jumped out of the way.

Braende placed her elbows just to her sides. Her elbows locked together with a canister full of Burn Dust. She instantly made use of the Dust, and made her hands glow with an awesome power. The glow was blinding; it was white hot. Braende shot her hands up into the sky, and released those flames from her grasp. The white hot intensity was lost immediately; however, the chaotic storm of lightning-like flame coupled with a somewhat distinct shape (a blade) made up for the lack of shine. Heat was another characteristic of the attack. The grass around her burned; the soil dried as if it was in a drought; and stray arcs of flame danced along the length of the construct. The redhead pyro winced as her burning grip blazed her palms. "OUT OF THE BLAST ZONE!" She ordered to Jaune, Weiss, and Neptune. The people she addressed eagerly moved out of the way to give her room. She looked upon the beast that was Naruto. She watched him recover, and faced her, the immediate threat. She stepped forward and roared as she swung down the blade of her own brand of calamity.

* * *

The beast clapped its hands together. In between its palms was the pillar of flame that the new pest tried to attack it with. The heat wasn't anything to worry about. Rather than worry, it absorbed the flames! In its hands was a singularity of an inferno the grew in size with each moment. The foolish pest attempted to burn it, and it'd gladly take her effort to use as its own power. The singularity became something else: a miniature sun in its hands. In one more surge of absorption, the attack was no more except fuel for its own new one. Like a mimc, it mirrored the red pest's attack form. It gleefully swung down the miniature sun on the fool.

However, just before its line of sight was obscured, it saw something rushed in front of the pest. Something white.

* * *

Jaune threw away logic. All he knew was that he needed to stop Naruto's attack. He ran in front of the girl that attempted a large attack to block the incoming one. All he thought of during that time was to keep any threat away. Not a second later, a mighty explosion happened away from his shield. Jaune knew to go in for the attack at that moment. He compressed his shield, sheathed his sword inside the scabbard/shield, and flared his aura into his weapon. The entirety of the scabbard was engulfed in light that was larger and wider than it. He set the blade to his right. Jaune idly thought how stupid this was as Naruto rolled once before inevitably recovering. Two hands on the handle, Jaune ran and dragged the tip of the blade on the ground. He ducked under a swipe then retaliated in response. The blade arced upwards, dug as deep as it could go into the Aura of flames, and slammed up Naruto's chin. Jaune was quite surprised he staggered him so. He turned his back on Naruto for a second. Then, he jumped backwards while he twisted his body. He made sure to swing with all of his strength in order to hammer it into Naruto's skull to wake up. Blade on his left shoulder, he swung down on Naruto's fox head with Semblance activated.

Naruto fell face first in a large, yet shallow flat pit.

Jaune was at the edge of that pit. He watched Naruto remained unresponsive for a few seconds. Jaune didn't expect Naruto to just rocket towards him with ball of destruction ready to fire out of his fox mouth. He kept his sword in front of him to defend. And when Naruto got closer to him, he was mildly surprised when Naruto was muzzled by one of Weiss's glyphs. He wasn't surprised when Naruto was restrained from head to tails with glyphs.

Naruto flopped on the ground like a fish out of water. Thought that image got destroyed immediately when he broke through Weiss's glyphs effortlessly. He turned to her for being the major annoyance. And it was there that Naruto made a mistake.

* * *

The beast's view of that damnable woman was obscured by a white shield that smacked its face. Immediately, it knew it was airborne. And before it could fly to recover, it was grounded. It tore up the ground like a meteorite did on an angular impact. It bounced repeatedly before it rolled into a large tree, and toppled it down with its body. It quickly got up to find its surroundings drastically changed from something unfamiliar into one that it felt at home in. Nature was all around it; nothing was disturbed.

A forest to it was home. It didn't know why, but it just felt right. Its erratic movement slowed to a crawl. Its growls were turned into rhythmic breathing. The tails that lashed out at anything were relaxed. Its eyes caught something that floated down. A leaf. Yes. It remembered. A "Leaf" was its home. Quickly, it dragged a finger into the ground, and drew a diagonal line that spiraled inwards with a small triangle directly opposite of the starting diagonal line. It drew "Leaf". It drew home. The beast mellowed out, and sat there blissfully. It was home.

No.

 _He_ was home.

* * *

Jaune and Weiss ran towards Emerald Forest. They agreed to leave Neptune behind to persuade them to not pursue. It wasn't hard in their eyes. A threat this large wasn't about to be ignored by far more experienced teachers and administrators. Neptune himself agreed that he'd stay to help the Atlesians -especially the one slammed literally six feet into the ground with a couple of punches. The two in pursuit also told Neptune that he direct the rest of teams RWBY and JNPR to Emerald forest if they ever came to look for either Weiss or Jaune.

The pair reached the edge of Beacon campus, where the cliff defined campus versus Emerald Forest. It was also where both Jaune and Weiss took their initiation test to properly become a student of Beacon Academy. Jaune gulped at the thought of using the launch pads again. Weiss herself was more uneasy about Naruto's hate for her.

Though, there were more important things to think about. She turned to Jaune. "How did you make Naruto go all the way to the forest with a shield bash?"

"...Semblance." Jaune replied hesitantly. Hesitantly because he took after Pyrrha's lesson of 'Using a Semblance as a trump card for emergencies'.

Weiss was quite surprised to hear that. "Reflection upon contact?" She guessed. Jaune tilted his head side to side in a 'so-so' manner. Weiss crossed her arms, and nodded. "I'm impressed. Oddly suits you I suppose." She half-heartedly complimented.

Jaune started the back of his head. "...Um. Shouldn't we be heading off to find Naruto?"

Weiss called her locker. "Not without getting ourselves fully equipped first." She told him. "We're lucky we got backup. Now that it's the two of us, we can't afford to be unprepared. Understand?"

"Gotcha." Jaune called his locker to do the same thing Weiss did.

Their lockers landed in front of them, and they proceeded to take what they needed. Weiss took more Dust. Jaune took his armor. The one thing they also took out were their battle attire. They noticed the other reached out for their particular attire, and blanched at the idea. Weiss was quick to erect a wall of ice in between the two of them with her remaining Freeze Dust in Myrtenaster.

"Don't you dare take a peek!" She shouted at Jaune from behind her wall of ice.

Jaune looked at how big the wall of ice was. If he wanted to take a peek, then he'd need to make the effort to do it. Plus he was pretty sure that Weiss kept an eye on the edge of the wall, where, if he was a perky idiot, would walk through to die for his desire to peek at Weiss. He instead took the safe route. "Might as well gear up properly..." He muttered as he took off his uniform blazer.

* * *

"I'm going." Glynda declared.

"No one is stopping you, Glynda." Ozpin told her as he stood up from his chair. "Though I must say to take care of yourself. I've heard that your son is friends with Miss Schnee and Mister Arc." He motioned to the holoscreens. "As you've seen, he wasn't hesitant in attempting to destroy the both of them. In fact, he showed far more disdain for Miss Schnee compared to what his previous altercation with her was like." He cleared his throat. "How he reacts to you...I have no clue. So please...take great caution in your approach." He pleaded with the woman. "I'm sure Minato would say the same to you."

Glynda stared at Ozpin with surprise clearly on her face. "...Thank you for your concern. I'll be sure to keep your words in mind, Ozpin." She slowly stepped backwards, and exited Ozpin's office.

Ozpin waited for Glynda to leave, then called Ironwood. "James... Whatever you do. Do not attack. It's been ten minutes, and there's no disturbances. Let my students and staff handle it. From what I've seen, they've done that quite effectively, and quelled the threat this long." He waited for a response. "...James?"

" _Very well. I'll trust you. But...if there's any sign of combat between your students and this threat...without any hope of stopping it anytime soon..._ "

Ozpin nodded. "I'm fully aware of what you're capable of, James. Even worse, I know what your army is capable of. It's what I'm afraid of, actually." He admitted to his ally. "Just please...no rash actions." He requested from the military leader.

" _Understood._ "

* * *

Yang, Blake, and Ruby ran to the site of where there was the most amount of combat. The three were stunned by the indiscriminate destruction of the area. None of them knew who or what did this. Instinct told them Grimm, but this was something beyond that. With how much fire there was, Grimm wasn't the cause of the destruction. They looked over the partially inactive Atlesian team; their aviator was down and out while the other, their red-themed teammate was more than winded -even threatened to pass out while she rested beside her unconscious teammate.

Yang noticed another person, or rather a pair. "Neptune! Sun!" She shouted. The people in question ran to them. "What happened?" She asked them when the pair were in front of Yang. "Who or _What_ did this?!" Ruby and Blake paralleled her worries by asking similar questions or expanded further from Yang's own.

"It was Naruto." Neptune told the three. "At least that's what Jaune told us before Weiss confirmed it was him." His response was met with silence. Suddenly, he was grabbed by the collar of his jacket. "Woah! Yang! Wha-?"

"What do you _MEAN_ Naruto did _THIS_?!" She shouted at Neptune while she stared him down with her furious red eyes. "He'd never do this!" She denied Neptune's claim. "Not him! You've got this all wrong!"

"Yang!" Blake shouted at her partner. "YANG!"

"Hey! Hands off, Goldie!" Sun shouted as well as he tried to make Yang release his partner.

"What do you want me to tell you?!" Neptune asked rhetorically. "That Jaune lied? That Weiss lied? That Naruto didn't beat someone into unconsciousness, and made someone else exhaust another to a similar state?!"

"I want to hear the _TRUTH_!" Yang told him.

"I did! You just can't handle it!"

" _Bullshit!_ "

"Yang!" Ruby tugged one of Yang's arms away from Neptune. She kept that other arm away to give Neptune some needed breathing room while Blake did the same to the other arm. "Stop this! Neptune isn't who you're supposed to be mad at! What if he's right? What if something happened to Naruto? What if something made him go berserk like last time?"

"Something did make him go berserk." Someone said. Yang, Ruby, and Blake looked at the person who said it: Pyrrha, accompanied by Glynda Goodwitch and the rest of team JNPR. "I should know. I was there when he lost his sanity, and...did this." She herself was uncomfortable at the thought of Naruto doing so much destruction with the lack of his sanity. "I myself don't understand why he went crazy, but I think looking at the lunar eclipse did it."

Yang's arms were released. When she heard Pyrrha's words, she wanted answers. "So what? Naruto's a were-something now?" She asked Pyrrha in a demanding tone.

"From what I've seen, he's become enveloped in his Aura, that took the form of a nine-tailed fox." Glynda said to enter into the conversation.

Ruby tilted her head in confusion. "Like the legend of the Nine Grimm?"

"...Yes. Just like the Ninth of that tale." Glynda answered uneasily. "He took the...form of the Ninth Grimm that fought the Hero..." She trailed off, and snapped her head towards the red moon.

Blake replayed the instructor's words repeatedly. She read her fair share of legends. She also read her fair share about the "Hero". "The Hero...and the Nine legendary Grimm." She muttered. She walked back and forth, and caused the others to look at her strangely. She recited in her head what she remembered from that tale she read long ago.

 ** _Once upon a time, the world knew fire, and the Hero and the Nine Great Beasts were the only ones that saw and lived through it. The world died, and was remade anew. New plants grew over the once barren soil, and animals roamed the world like before the calamity. Soon, humans came as well. The Hero remembered his duty to protect Humanity and a newer race, the Faunus, from extinction. He helped them build their society, and left them to live on their own. And for centuries, this lasted. But that changed when the moon shattered, and bled red._**

 ** _The blackest ooze rained down on the world, but strangely enough, nothing was tainted. The trees and grasslands didn't wilt. The animals weren't plagued with a new disease or dissolved into bones. Humans and Faunus themselves weren't affected. The world was fine. The Hero knew the world was fine; however, his friends were not. The Great Beasts he befriended in a time long before the calamity were corrupted by the ooze the fell from the broken red moon. Their skin turned black like the ooze that rained. Their minds were degraded into something less than sentient. They were mindless beasts of destruction._**

 ** _For nine days, the Hero fought one beast a day. Each attempt to purify failed. Each attempt led to more violent bouts. Each attempt led to heartache. On the final day and on the final beast, the Hero used his powers bestowed since birth to take the form of his oldest friend. He took the form of the Nine-tailed Fox._**

Blake looked to the others. "Does anyone know the name of the Hero?!" She blurted out.

Ruby asked. "What does that have to do with the problem right now?"

Blake looked at everyone in front of her. "The Hero fought the Great Beasts that became what other text regard as the Legendary Grimm corrupted by a red moon that shattered. On the ninth and final day of battle against the corrupted beasts, the Hero took the form of his oldest friend, the ninth beast, the Nine-Tailed Fox and fought!" She let that information sink in. "Look at this setting! Lunar eclipse! Golden orange Nine-Tailed Fox!"

Neptune barged into the conversation. "Wait! Are you saying-"

"-What is the _Hero's_ name?!" Blake asked everyone.

"...Naruto." Surprisingly it was Ren, Nora, and Sun who replied. In sync too.

Everyone's eyes were on the trio. Blake, Glynda, and Pyrrha were the least surprised. But to the rest, their expressions told it all: How do you know that?

Ren answered the unuttered question. "Vacuo loves its legends -especially if it's about the Hero. There, the Hero is regarded as a god of this world; however, there is yet to be a religion surrounding the Hero."

Nora spoke next. "What matters is that people of Vacuo know that Naruto is the name of the Hero, and he's the one that helped people along long before Dust was a thing!"

"While I see where you're going with this, Blake. Naruto is a relatively common name in regards to people named after heroes." Sun explained. "In Vacuo, that is a common themed name. And what works is that the Hero was always depicted wearing the color orange -so in a sense, naming a kid Naruto was equal to naming him or her orange."

"Look, Sun! This isn't just some coincidence." Blake told him. "These are connections!"

"To what? You believe in reincarnation?" Sun asked. "You believe the Hero made shells to place souls collected by the God of Death, and let souls of old take possession of said shells?" Sun walked towards Blake. "Vacuo may love its legends, but even they aren't so faithful to that idea you're implying! They don't believe that the world is filled with people long since dead from...from a bygone era! The best result you'll get out of anyone from the Kingdom of Vacuo is that some poor old dude who knew how to tell a story made one best-seller about a Hero that remade the world after it was once destroyed."

Ren nodded in agreement. "Reincarnation is a steep claim to have, Blake."

The Cat Faunus bristled at the dismissal of her idea. She wanted to say something.

" _ **SHHHHUUUUUUUUT UUUUUUUPPP!**_ " Ruby shouted at the top of her lungs. "Naruto's in trouble, and you're all taking about anything not related on how to get him back to normal!" She turned around, and headed for the Emerald forest. "I'm going to help him. If you want to talk about some stories, do that in some book club or a campfire! Don't do it in a battlefield!" She ran to the forest without ever looking back. Yang, Pyrrha, and Glynda were the next ones to follow. The remaining few were left alone; the pace of the conversation derailed by a simple voice of reason.

"Ruby's right!" Nora agreed to what the reaper said. "We can talk about this later! What's important is that we help Naruru out now!" She bolted for the forest as well. Ren chased after her.

"...You should go." Sun told Blake. "Your team will need you."

"We're staying here." Neptune said. "We're sure you'll be able to handle it."

Not a second later, a titanic pillar of flame emerged from the heart of the Emerald forest.

 _ **And done! How's this chapter? Sorry it took a while. Still getting oriented with workload for my new classes. Still I hope this is a sufficient chapter? Was it enjoyable? Frustrating? Lemme know. If you still don't understand why Naruto's like this...think of the lunar eclipse as the trigger to his 'PTSD'.**_

 ** _So review, follow, favorite, I don't care._**

 ** _This is Azure signing off._**


	37. Those Dearly Beloved

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 33: Those Dearly Beloved

Jaune and Weiss were in the forest on the lookout for Naruto. They didn't know where he landed, but it was safe to assume for the both of them that the one they were looking for was east of the forest. Problem was the fact the pair needed to pinpoint Naruto's location. They thought it'd be easy; they thought to follow the destruction.

But there wasn't anything burnt to a crisp in the forest! Not a single disturbance or explosion rocked the forest at all.

Jaune was uncomfortable with that. His father taught him well enough to know that a silent beast is a dangerous one. It was trouble if something was silent. ' _Either you're stalked, or paranoid; it wasn't safe to be either if you faced a beast like that._ ' He thought grimly while he kept a firm grip on his sword. He shook out of those troubling thoughts.

"Jaune?"

"Yes, Weiss?"

"Thanks for covering for me back there." She said sincerely.

"…" Jaune kept silent for a moment. Eventually, he stopped walking. "…We were lucky." He told Weiss just before he turned around to look at her. "We had friends covering for us. And I myself had a defensive Semblance that was crucial to that fight." His gaze lowered to the ground. "I made that one opening, and yet when that one Atlesian girl went for an all-out-attack, Naruto stood back up like what we did was nothing." His firm grip tightened. "When he only got angrier at you, my only thought was to get him out of Beacon as fast as possible before he did anything else more dangerous."

"…" Weiss didn't know what to say to Jaune's remarks. But what she heard made her tremble with fright. She remembered those furious eyes.

"We know how destructive Naruto is. It's a miracle he didn't do anything more drastic. Honestly, I expected more. It was…a miracle. Anyways, I did what I had to do to keep you- I-I mean…keep the campus safe." Jaune cursed his fumble with his words, and hoped Weiss hadn't heard that. He looked up to see Weiss shaken up. Instinctively, he came up to her, and pressed his forehead to Weiss. "Calm down. I can't have you going into a panic. You're the best fighter between the two of us at the moment. I need you at your best if we want to stop Naruto. Got it?" He stepped back.

Weiss took a few deep breaths. "R-Right… Thanks for that. I appreciate you bringing me back to reality." She smiled at him.

Jaune gave her a thumbs up. He turned around to resume walking when he stepped on a branch. Out of nowhere, a flaming fist struck his face. The surprise attack caught Jaune off guard that he was flung away into several trees. His Aura took most of the beating, and that he didn't want. He needed his Aura to fight. When he finally stopped via sturdy tree, he looked ahead to see how far away he was from Weiss.

His heart sank when he saw he was about a mile away. "Weiss…" He muttered in fear. He pushed himself off the tree he was stuck in. When he got the kinks out of his joints, he ran to Weiss as far as he could. All the while, the ground shook while tall pillars of flame erupted where Weiss was. It was the only indication to Jaune that she was even alive. ' _Weiss! Please stay safe!_ ' He prayed to any god to bless Weiss of living through this beastly nightmare.

Weiss calculated her dodges as best as she possibly could. She ducked under a swipe, and jumped over another. She used her glyph to block a tail. Though it didn't work. The tail broke through, and slapped her away. Her Aura took a chunk of the damage. Luckily for her, she didn't bump into any trees or rocks. She simply rolled on the ground. The moment she recovered and got her bearings, a sudden feeling of dread came over her. A glyph was instinctually made just beneath her feet. The glyph made her faster, and used that newfound speed to get out of the incoming attack. She dove to the left, away from one more crater that littered Emerald forest. However, the shockwave was more than enough to make her stumble.

This went on several times. The ground Naruto dug into became deeper and deep each time he missed. Even worse, the dust kicked up along with the flash of fire made it difficult to navigate around the already cluttered forest. Weiss had to resort to hiding behind the trees, and jumped towards new ones just before Naruto found her.

' _How am I going to stop him?!_ ' She screamed inside her head while she headed for cover once more. However, she was a tad late. The next shockwave tossed her out of her projected trajectory. Her body landed hard against the ground. She quickly attempted to sit up, but in her best judgement, cancelled her action. She laid herself flat the moment she saw a giant chunk of the ground fly inches above her body. Weiss rolled off to the side in time to evade a bolt of fire. She found cover behind another tree, and gasped once she heard the thunderous explosion off in the distance.

" ** _%^ &*(&^}{":""?!#*&^%$^#~_):# %!_**" Naruto's roars were becoming more and more furious. Weiss needed to calm him soon.

The Schnee gulped, and steeled her resolve. She'd calm Naruto down. ' _Or_ DIE _trying!_ ' She shouted in her mind. She walked out of her cover to look at the beast in front of her. He roared at her with such force that she needed to brace herself against the buffeting of harsh, stormy walls of air. Her tiny tiara was blown away by the winds, and unwound her ponytail.

When the roaring stopped, Naruto's fury reached a new peak and a new windstorm brewed. Air thrashed around much like waves collided with a cliffside; violent. The trees swayed all the way to the base. The ground was tossed around. His tails were spread out once more. And at their tips, a sphere of concentrated Aura grew in size. Wind wrapped around each sphere like a vortex. The wind pressure was enough to force Weiss back several feet away from her original spot.

The Schnee peeked through the gap between her arms. The vortex around the spheres calmed down; however, they donned a far more sinister look in her opinion. Jagged wind blades, four on each sphere, spun around with an unbearable screech. The ones closest to the ground tore up the environment as if it was paper. Then without warning, Naruto threw the leftmost, rightmost, and the middle spheres of total annihilation at Weiss.

Weiss closed her eyes, and concentrated. She connected her Aura to her Dust cartridges while she made a layered glyph system, one for each dust in her chambers, beneath her feet. Her mind wandered off to the Grimm that possessed a giant suit of armor; her greatest trial before her current situation was a thing. When she got the image down, she dashed towards imminent danger. She made herself faster with another glyph, and rushed in between the gap of the three spheres thrown at her. She made it through, and felt the cataclysmic blades of wind disrupt the calm atmosphere. Despite the effects, it didn't alter her course.

Naruto rushed her, but she was quicker than he realized. Weiss leaped above him, and released a dark purple glyph in the air right above Naruto. Weiss triggered the effect of the glyph, and instantly, a giant dark purple broadsword shot out of the glyph, and attempted to stab Naruto's back into the ground. The impact was enough to make a deep crater that covered the entirety of Naruto's current form. It was an effective maneuver in Weiss's part. Even more effective was the fact that the first of the Dust-infused Semblances was Gravity Dust.

Weiss stood on a glyph of her own making, and watched as a giant glyph formed from her construct. The area that surrounded Naruto was sucked towards the epicenter —towards the blade. Chunks of rock, trees, and other things found in the forest were pulled in. The spheres that seemed to float at the tips of Naruto's tails crashed against each other along with the other debris that it was only a matter of time until it blew up.

An explosion rattled Emerald forest once more; however, this time it shook all of Vale from the mountains to the shores. The explosion itself wasn't wide, but it was at least taller than the highest point of Beacon Academy. The shockwave that came made a visible ripple through the treetops if one looked at the battleground from the air.

Weiss managed to stay on her glyph, but she knew she was at her limit. Her body ached all over the place. She breathed heavily too. She decided then and there that this form of Naruto was an Atlesian obstacle course cranked up to eleven and then some. Weiss's Scroll indicated she was a third of the way before she ran out of gas. A piece of her mind thought that it was a miracle she lasted this long consistently using her glyphs.

She took a deep breath. "Winter did say the more I used them, the easier it became…" She laughed inwardly at the fact that her greatest strides were because she fought with Naruto. "Don't worry, Naruto. You'll be back to yourself in no time…"

* * *

Ironwood watched at Emerald forest burned. The explosions and the sheer intensity of it all was much like the War as his grandfather foretold. But for one person to be the cause of it all baffled the General more than anything; moreover, this display didn't compare to his grandfather's depiction of the catastrophe caused by the first Fiamma.

No. This was something else entirely. And Ironwood wanted to put a stop to it even if he broke his word to Ozpin. From his view in his flagship, he watched Weiss Schnee fight to the very end. Commendable. But useless because there was no sign of the threat to ever stop. None of Ozpin's students could stop this threat.

"Alert to the rest of the fleet." Ironwood commanded to his communications officer. "Ready to engage with all weapons." He turned to his Scroll. "As soon as the students get out of there, give indiscriminate fire to the target."

* * *

Ruby, Yang, Pyrrha, and Glynda ran as they watched in horror as the Atlesian air fleet mobilized. Far behind them, Nora, Ren, and Blake were unnerved by such a sight. The former group kept running —this time faster and faster than before. Ruby didn't want to waste her Aura just yet, so she made the pace for the others to follow her towards the chaos.

Glynda had other plans. An airship was far faster than anyone on foot. It was an undeniable fact that what they did was useless. But with her power, anything was faster if thrown in the general direction. "Miss Rose, Xiao Long, and Nikos. I have a way to get you three to our destination quicker."

Yang glanced behind herself. "You do?"

Glynda nodded. "I'll throw you three to him. It's the fastest way."

Ruby slowed down to keep in pace with the instructor. "Why don't I use a new skill of mine, Professor?"

"You mean when you manifested the black flames?" The combat instructor guessed. Yang and Ruby were surprised. "I've been told about the Fiamma's peculiar Semblance. It's no surprise to me, Miss Rose." She gave the trainee Huntress a small smile. "So? What is the ability of the unknown black flame?"

Ruby grinned. "Teleportation, ma'am!" She looked towards the battlefield when a new set of explosions rang out. An inferno grew to immeasurable heights before it disappeared. "It works with a visual. So if you could throw us up into the air like you planned, I can teleport the three of us to the edge of the battlefield."

"It would cut off most of the travel time." Pyrrha said her thoughts on the idea. "Please, Professor! We'll do our best."

"We'll knock him back into his senses!" Yang boldly declared.

Glynda nodded in approval of their resolve. "Very well. You three hold each others hands." She ordered. The trio of trainee Huntresses did as told. "I trust that you will do your best. As some of the best the new batch has to offer, I shall trust you with his life. Save Naruto!" She pleaded. "Save my son!" The woman watched the three young women's eyes go wide with surprise. Without warning, she shot them up into the sky.

* * *

During the conversation outside the battle, Weiss looked over the crater's epicenter by standing on one of her glyphs. Another glyph was made above Naruto's position. This time it was burning red. Another giant broadsword, red and molten, descended like a meteor. And like a meteor, it scarred the earth —this time like a bullet. The ground lit up like a second sun. Another blade, one made of earth, struck. It made the fiery pit turn into that of molten lava. Two blades came down. One was ice, the other air. The ice blade froze the land. The wind cooled the ice as well as the air, turning the area into a small snowstorm. Still, the heat from before melted the ice to reveal a new layer of earth, one of cooled rock. She jumped off her glyph, and made yet another giant one at the tip of Myrtenaster. Naruto directly beneath, Weiss aimed her blade down as she descended. A final giant blade emerged from the glyph; this one was made out of lightning. Contact was made and signaled by a momentary lightning storm that quickly subsided.

Weiss had no more energy left. She couldn't even twitch a finger. The only sign to show she was even alive was the fact that she breathed shallowly. The only thing that kept her in her stabbing position was her firm grip that somehow had yet to waver. Her gamble left her in such a state. She couldn't get out of the way if Naruto was still berserk and came after her. ' _Did I reach you, Naruto? Did I…did I knock some sense back into you?_ ' Her glassy eyes lost focus. ' _Please…co…bac…_ ' Her body leaned forward, and a hand caught her left shoulder.

"You did great, Weiss." It was Jaune who complimented her efforts. Not that she'd know it was him. Jaune quickly carried Weiss and her sword away from the battlefield. He was cautious. No. Scratch that. He was _very_ cautious. He ran back towards Beacon as fast as he could. There was no point in endangering themselves further when they were exhausted.

The ground rumbled. It caused Jaune to stumble, but not enough to completely topple him out of his balance. He shrugged it off in favor of prioritizing safety, and continued. It was only when a flaming arm broke through the rock terraformed by Weiss did Jaune worry. "Are. You… Kidding ME?!" He ran faster for the sake of Weiss's safety. To the nearest tree he ran, and placed Weiss there. He took a moment to look at the defeated warrior princess before he turned around shield first.

Naruto charged at him only to bounce off to the edge of the other side of the clearing. Jaune kept a firmer hold of his shield. "You're not getting past me, Naruto. I'll make sure of it!" He declared as he thought of Weiss's vulnerable form behind him. "I don't know why you're like this, but for her sake and for the rest of this kingdom…YOU'RE NOT GOING THROUGH ME!" He shouted at the feral Naruto.

A bolt of fire flew at him. Jaune dared not to look away nor blink at the incoming threat. An explosion rocked out to the left of him. Another was fired off. This time the explosion went to the right. A third one came at him, but made impact with the mountains behind Naruto. This time, an unrelenting barrage came at him. Jaune's only thought was to keep anything that meant to harm Weiss away from her at this moment in time.

But he could only take so many hits. Jaune knew he wouldn't last without anyone else interfering; his Scroll showed his Aura levels in the red. With how much he used his Semblance, that gauge chipped away with each hit. He prayed for this assault to end.

It did.

Instead, Naruto came at him once more like the wild beast he was. "What did I tell you…?!" Jaune growled. His shield was coated with the last of his Aura. His sword was left stabbed into the ground beside him. Jaune made a combat-ready pose with his left arm shielding his torso. The moment Naruto was close enough to him, Jaune raised his shield. " **YOU'RE NOT GOING THROUGH ME!** " The shield smack Naruto's fox head full force along with the aid of Jaune's Semblance.

The impact sent Naruto more than thirty feet into the ground.

And like Weiss, Jaune had nothing left in him. He too was unable to move because the amount of energy exerted into this was more than he ever had to deal with. And yet unlike him, Naruto still came back angrier than ever. Jaune glared at Naruto the moment said attacker stood in front of him. "…You." He tried to speak, but found it difficult to express his drive like this. His eyes narrowed to a sharper glare.

The beast that was Naruto only looked at Jaune. A tail quickly slapped the exhausted blond to Weiss's left before it moved in front of Weiss. It moved its right hand just in front of the Schnee, and made that gruesome sphere that burned as it ground on the enemy's defenses or body.

A hand reached for Naruto's right wrist. "I-If...this is...my final moment." She spoke softly. "Please remember...my words, Na...ruto." The attack slowly shrank. It understood her. "You...take care of yourself now. Better -ngh control your...temper. No one...will like you if you're like this...all the time." The wrist she held on to lowered at the sound of her voice. "If I sound like...I'm lecturing...then it's because I care. And..." She willed her body to release the last pints of energy she had left to caress the fox head's cheeks with both her arms. "...And I want...nothing more than my friends to be...safe." And with those words uttered, she lost consciousness.

Upon hearing those words, little of its sanity was returned. Only now did it notice the damage done to it. Its body struggled to move without feeling any sort of pain. It was fatigued as well; however, despite this, a distorted voice spoke out from the beast to the defeated Schnee. "I'm...sorry, Weiss." Its body swayed back and forth because it was unable to hold its balance any longer. It fell forward face first to the ground just right of where Weiss leaned on her tree. A blue, watery flame creeped over the orange one like a wave that reached a sandy shore. The new colored flame engulfed the beast in it, and out came a barely conscious Naruto with tears that leaked out of his eyes.

He never heard the voices that called out to him and the friends he fought to the brink of death. No. He was too lost in the shackles of regret to listen. The final thing he registered before he became unconscious was a clump of vibrant red hair that dangled before his very eyes.

* * *

I floated in darkness. Up, down, left, right, front, and back were filled with that empty void. It was a crushing feeling. My shoulders were tugged down as if I was a fish in a hook. My fingertips felt frozen to me, yet my palms burned. My chest felt hollow, yet my body felt heavy. My arms legs felt like they moved through syrup while held down by chains I couldn't feel nor find. I tried to look for a way out of this; I ran. I ran, and I kept on running without any idea what progress meant. After a while, I stopped.

No way out, I stood there indefinitely. It felt lonely being in this darkness. No one to talk to. No one to look to. No one to fight for. No one to love. Such thoughts were numbing to me. The heat in my palms were overrun by the coldness of my fingertips while my arms felt more restricted. My legs were useless a while ago; they felt like they were petrified -or unbelievably heavy. Nonetheless, I did not resist this.

Why?

I don't know.

I gave up.

Was there a drive to begin with? Why did I want to leave?

I don't know.

I don't know. How long have I been here? How long ago did I look for a way out? How long ago did I stop?

How long until I can't move?

How long until I can't think?

I don't know.

I yearned for light. It didn't need to be big; just something I could see. The small dot of a star was enough for me. It was enough. It's all I want. It's all I need. I want an to see an 'end'.

Four lights blessed me with their presence. One was pink, the other gold, burgundy, and lilac. They were warm, soothing, tender… My fingers twitched. My heart -if there was such a thing- throbbed. My soul screamed. I closed my eyes. Those lights were replaced by four maidens. One was lively as Spring. Another was as passionate and energetic as Summer. The third was calming like Fall. The final one was delicate, reserved like Winter. I felt my eyes well with tears that soon leaked out of the corners of my eyes.

I remembered them.

My dearly beloved.

I opened my mouth, and called to them. My ears never heard what I said. Nothing came out of my mouth. Yet in my mind, I heard their names clearly. I remembered the sound of their names. I also remembered the lullaby they sang to me. I delved deep into my mind, and remembered the lyrics. My mouth opened to sing, but was in my mind that I heard my voice.

 ** _One day you will realize_**

 ** _The stars you are chasing shine bright deep inside you_**

 ** _But will you ever let it shine from within?_**

 ** _And cast all of your fears aside_**

 ** _You'll see the light, but until that day comes…_**

 ** _My Dearly Beloved_**

 ** _Be strong, I shall be there_**

 ** _Always here beside you_**

 ** _So keep your head held high_**

 ** _The shadows of this world will try to steal you away into their arms_**

 ** _But you belong in mine…_**

A deafening boom stopped me from singing. I opened my eyes to see the lights in front of me were gone. Instead, a new light came. One from a shattered red moon. The darkness was no longer all encompassing. The darkness were silhouettes. Giant silhouettes of beasts. And in front of the largest beast…

Was a woman in white.

My teeth gnashed against one another. My fangs were bared for that woman to see. My eyes wanted to fly out of their sockets with how intense my glare was. My arms, legs, and body were free from their imaginary restraints. When I charged at her did I only notice something familiar. No progress. I could not move based on what my perception told me. I didn't move an inch towards that woman no matter how hard I tried to get at her. I fell to my knees.

An orange light was in front of me. A man this time. I looked up to see him bathed in golden flames. He felt familiar, but I couldn't put a name to him. Just then he started to talk.

" _Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Goku, Kokuo, Saiken, Chomei, Gyuki, Kurama… For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul to guide unto me, and by my shoulder protect thee._ "

I realized he mostly spoke the lines meant to activate Aura. And as he finished saying those words, a light sprouted out of the nine great beasts. The woman in white was confused.

" _But as I release your soul, know that your bodies stay. Know that corrupted they'll stay; however, you all shall remain as you are in spirit. Let me be your vessel once more, and be the conduit of your emotions. From joy to hate, I shall express all your thoughts through me. And when the day comes that I purify your bodies, you'll be released from this shell called my body._ " The lights from the beasts' chests linked to the man's own. He turned his head to glance back at me.

I was stunned silent. The man I saw was me.

Then I was blinded only to move on to another placed as if I transitioned from one scene to another. I knew this scene. I don't know why. But I knew it.

In front of me were four maidens, named after a season. Winter acted much like Her, but was more confident and firm. Spring was a little more childish than who I considered to be like Spring. Summer was just as lively as the one I knew. And Fall was admittedly the same as my Fall, but less aggressive. They reminded me so much of my four beloved, yet unique on their own.

My soul throbbed. The beasts I allowed into my soul agreed that the maidens were much like my beloved. I clutched my chest. I wanted to return the kindness; I wanted to return the favor. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release _my_ soul, and by my _power_ protect thee." I said the revised lines with conviction. A large sphere of energy, larger than the mountain I stood upon, split into four smaller, yet still impressive equal sizes. "Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, I give to you the knowledge to connect your physical power to your soul. This knowledge will allow you to connect with the innate energy inside each of you to physically change a piece of this world through channeling this energy through your bodies. I also give to you a piece of whatever remained in me. This piece will amplify the powers you'll possess."

Summer spoke out. "What happens to you?"

"I'll barely live." I told them. "My immortality is set by the God of Death. I'll only die in battle, as per the condition it gave to me." I grinned. "But look at me! I don't look older than my mid-twenties! Still fit as a fiddle too!" I slammed my fist to my chest. "I'll take a miracle to kill me off."

Spring asked, "But what of your powers?"

"I still have it. Little bit of it, but still there." I replied. I waved the question away. "Look. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth! Take my blessing, and know you can do so much more. Whatever your limits were before are now null and void." I told them boldly. I smiled at the maidens. "Instead, find new ones as you help others _because you are able_."

Fall bowed. "Thank you, Wizard."

I waved that title away. "Don't call me 'Wizard'. Call me Naruto!" I said then ended with a grin from ear to ear. A strong breeze came my way, and with it brought along a flurry of autumn leaves that left their trees. My grin became wider as I remembered a phrase. "…How appropriate. The old leaves fall to let new ones grow."

Winter was the one to ask next. "What do you mean by those words, Wiz- I mean…Naruto?"

"I leave to you the safety of this world." I told them. "I…I've done this for far too long; it's time new hands took my job as a Guardian." I scratched my head. "I believe you'll do far better than I did, and with a bigger drive than mine. In fact...I'm counting on it! As I have blessed you, your four shall bless this world with miracles of your own." I smiled softly. "I believe in you. All of you."

Fall bowed to me once more. The rest of the sisters emulated the elder sister. "Thank you for this gift." They said in unison.

"Rejoice, fair maidens. Because from now on, you can do _so_ much more." I smiled at them one more time before I disappeared in a flurry of leaves.

I return to darkness.

Who am I?

Naruto.

Who is Naruto?

Am I the Hero Granny mentioned?

Or am I his namesake?

I don't know.

I don't know.

But I do know something isn't right.

And I intend to find out why it's so.

* * *

Adults watched the Holoscreens in the lobby. Two of them were a couple, blondes decked in armor like knights of old. The man looked much like Jaune. Or rather...it was the other way around, but more rugged due to age. His clothes that went along with his silver armor was as blue as the sky. His wife in comparison had gentler features, and her hair was braided all along the length of her back while her ensemble was a dark, regal purple. One was a man with freshly cut hairstyle whilst slicked back with a blindingly white suit. His mustache was as white as his hair while his eyes were ice cold. The final one was Glynda.

" _General. Is there any more information regarding the attack two nights ago?_ " Asked a reporter that stood next to the Atlesian leader.

" _At this point in time...it's been confirmed that the attack at Beacon was devised by a lone wolf -a_ Human _sympathizer of the militant White Fang. The Dust robberies in Vale, ones not done by Roman Torchwick, and done in the duration of five years were all suspected to be linked to this individual, whom we can't identify anymore because of a lack of a body._ "

"' _A lack of a body,' you say?_ "

Ironwood on the screen nodded. " _We believe that a misfire of one of this individual's insurmountable amount of Dust ended the attacker's life. We suspected it was the explosion that created the magnitude six "quake" last night. The ones after the this misfire were set off most likely due to the unstable environment and the concentration of residual Dust in the area._ " The man took a deep breath. " _Still, it should be noted that while the attacker made his own demise, the brave souls that fought this attacker answered to the call of duty, and should be commended for their quick response. Alabaster Tinsoldat, Reef Marina, Braende Tinder, Lavendel Svane, Neptune Vasilias, Jaune Arc, Weiss Schnee, and Naruto Uzumaki fought this attacker, and did their best._ "

" _Yes. They are indeed brave souls. I'm quite surprised the Heiress of the Schnee company was engaged in such an earthshaking battle._ " The reporter looked to delve deeper into the situation with the Schnee; however, a small thought graced her face. " _Um...of the eight you've mentioned, I can't recognize the last individual. You've mentioned one team from Atlas. One student from Haven participated too. And two were from Beacon. Who is the last one?_ " Glynda tensed. The man in white did too.

" _Naruto Uzumaki is a custodian of Beacon. He is the infamous "Warrior Janitor" that was popular moths ago. Yes, he wasn't identified before. Us Headmasters have the choice to divulge or hide information on employees. There was no need to reveal his identity until now. Now as for the specifics, his age is that of first years, but as you know, he went to Beacon for employment. He is an orphan that lives in one of the many orphanages in Vale. A Faunus too. Arguably one of the bravest I've ever heard of. He was the first one to engage the attacker, and ended off with the most injuries due to the lack of proper combat experience._ " He cleared his throat. " _Both his forearms, hands, legs, and feet were victims to second-degree burns while he's suffered multiple bone fractures, or total breakage. Compared to mere exhaustion and fewer injuries of those other seven I mentioned, this young man had it worst in that incident._ "

" _Well I can confidently say that I wish him a full recovery._ " The reporter turned to her right, to Ozpin. " _Headmaster_ _Ozpin_." She addressed the silver-haired man. " _How do you feel about this incident?_ "

Glynda left the room. The man in white did as well. To the two of them, they only wanted to know how this incident was warped for the media; they knew the truth, and believe the truth was more fiction than it actually was. The lie told to the kingdoms was more believable. The two heard enough, and left the room in order to go to their respective child. Soon, the blond couple left after the exclusive news special regarding the weekend incident ended.

* * *

Eis Schnee entered the hospital room occupied by his youngest daughter. A redheaded young man looked behind him, then faced the man with a bow. "Sir. Lady Weiss is awake."

The man looked over his still weakened daughter, whose eyes were barely open. "Thank you for watching over her, Vaege." He told the young man. "I'm grateful for your diligence."

"I am Lady Weiss's bodyguard." Vaege said to the elder Schnee. His head faced the floor as he went down on his knees. "It's my duty to watch over her. And I feel nothing but frustration at the fact that I wasn't here to do something to help Lady Weiss..."

Eis Schnee lowered himself down to a knee as well. A calm hand reassured the young man. "Go to your sister. I'm sure Braende would like your presence in her room. She's still recovering?"

The young man nodded. "The backlash of using her Semblance again reached a whole new level. She's still unconscious, but that's about it."

The man smiled. "That's good to hear." He patted the young man's back repeatedly. "No. That's great to hear." His icy blue eyes twinkled. "Rejoice, your sister is a strong one." Vaege smiled at the compliment for his sister. "I can clearly see your worry for her. Like I said moments ago...go to your sister. I'll allow it this time. Your family needs you right now." He offered a hand to the young man, who graciously took it to stand up from his kneeled position.

"Thank you, Sir."

Eis Schnee patted the young man's back once more. "You're welcome." He watched the Vaege leave the room before he took his seat beside his daughter. He took his daughter's right hand, and gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. "Weiss...how are you feeling?" He asked.

"Like...I'm trapped...in ice." Weiss weakly responded.

Eis looked away. "I'm sorry for not coming sooner."

"I...wouldn't know..." Weiss said. "I'd be...uncons...sious."

The father firmly grasped his daughter's hand. "Save your strength. Rest up once more. I'll return when you're fully awake and rested."

* * *

The blond couple entered Jaune's hospital room. "How is he?" The man asked to his seven daughters that surrounded Jaune's bed on all sides.

"Asleep." The girls answered in sync.

The man took a deep breath while he shook his head in disapproval. "This is why I didn't want him to go to Beacon!" He groaned out in frustration. He furiously scratched his head to the point if he had blades for fingered, he'd mow off his own head of hair.

The woman hummed. "And yet you were the one that paid for his tuition the moment you got a call from Ozpin that Jaune was accepted into Beacon." She crossed her arms, and tapped her right foot. The daughters were quite familiar with this certain action their mother took, and it made their father all the more conflicted.

"I trust him, Jeanne. I trust Ozpin." The man told to his wife. "He's the one with the brains to keep our team out of trouble back in the day." He said as if that statement alone was enough to justify his change of heart for Jaune's choice as a Huntsman-in-training. "If he deemed our son capable of being in a combat school, then my fears were misplaced." He properly combed his hair back with his hands. "But then _this_ happened."

A reassuring hug from his wife calmed him down somewhat. "Lumière... All is fine. He's a stubborn one, our son. Just like how you, your father, and your ancestors were. You can't fault him for a trait passed down through the generations. He even got the Arc family Semblance suited to the built-in stubbornness." That last sentence got a small smile out of the husband. "Don't worry about him. His Semblance manifested, and now he'll be quite durable. Now all he needs is improvement in his offense, and he's well off for the most part." A few reassuring pats on the back calmed the husband down. She whispered into his ear. "I heard he used it to protect the Schnee Heiress. And from what I heard from Atlesian officers that witnessed the battle, he didn't move out of the way at all. He-"

"-Of course he fell for a Schnee." Lumière pinched the bridge of his nose. "I foresee headaches to come if he and the heiress become a thing."

"What's this? Our little brother has a crush on the Schnee? And you're not surprised?!" The eldest asked in disbelief. She crossed her arms. "I'm sensing some needed backstory here, Dad."

"No." Was the father's firm reply as his cheeks gained the slightest tinge of pink. The daughters pleaded. He refused again. They pleaded harder. He kept his stance on the matter. All the while, the mother snickered at the situation.

* * *

Glynda entered Naruto's room silently. He was fast asleep on his bed while he was stripped of his (damaged) normal clothing in favor of a hospital gown. The only thing kept on his person was his ring(s) still attached to his right hand. The others were handled by Ruby, who kept the rings in her back pouch. He was equipped with the necessary medical equipment to nourish him and keep him alive except for the respiratory ones.

An empty chair was placed beside Naruto's bed. Glynda sat there, and watched Naruto silently. Deep down, she was devastated that she didn't help in the end. She failed to help him. She failed as his mother again. Bitterness brewed inside Glynda. Self-depreciating thoughts echoed in her head, and her facial expression said it all with how sour and unpleasant she made it. "I don't understand how you can tolerate me..." She muttered. "I've failed you time and again." She leaned forward to bury her face into her palms. "Why can't I do a thing right?" She asked lowly while inwardly, she sobbed at her supposed failures.

The door behind Glynda opened. A voice called out to her. "Professor Goodwitch?" It was a young woman's voice -Yang's voice to be precise.

Glynda attempted to compose herself as best as she could in such a short amount of time. Her voice cracked when she asked, "Yes?"

"Could the two of us talk?" The younger blond requested.

* * *

Blake managed her time by going to the library. Any text regarding the legend of the Hero was brought out to read, analyze, and connect said Hero to the one with the same name as he. Yet, most of the sources she used were centuries-old parchments or modernized children's books that may or may not have deviated over several millennia. While consistencies were there, inconsistencies were inevitable too. Though upon many hours of reading, Blake lost her train of thought or could not identify if one was an inconsistency from other pieces she read.

A cup of tea was presented to her. "Drink some, and get some rest, Belle."

Blake looked up to see Adam in front of her. "...I can't. I need to know why he became like that."

A sharp poke to the forehead made the Cat Faunus fall backward like a house of cards. "Rest." Adam ordered. "No more fantasy theories tonight."

Blake sat up then requested, "Just one more." Adam allowed it, but only that one book she'd chosen. She searched through the pile of books she hoarded for the day. Her eyes gave each book a once-over before she finally chose one that she felt like she could get answers from to support her theory. She took the book to her reading spot, and plopped the rather large book on the floor.

Adam read the title of the book aloud. "Hm... _Tome of Beginnings._ "

* * *

" _ **So close...yet so far. A little push, and**_ **He _would have returned once more._** "

"Is it imperative that he regains his memories as well as his powers?"

" _ **But of course! In my opinion, the greatest form of despair is the one that results in the destruction of hope.**_ " A snicker. " ** _The_ same _despair he felt when his friends didn't return and won't return to normal. I savored that feeling, that imagery, that..._ SATISFACTION _of breaking a supposed_ "Unbreakable" _man_.** "

"How do you plan on returning his powers?"

" _ **Through the ashes of War, and the**_ **gift** _ **of Dust.**_ "

* * *

 _ **And that's it folks. Hoped you enjoyed. Once again, no tricks here. If you got what you read, you got the plot points addressed here in this chapter. So yay! More info to connect the dots with!**_

 _ **BTW, song used is "Dearly Beloved" by Amalee.**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don't care.**_

 ** _This is Azure signing off._**


	38. Legends

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 34: Legends

" ** _So close…yet so far. A little push, and_** **He** ** _would have returned once more._** "

"Is it imperative that he regains his memories as well as his powers?"

" ** _But of course! In my opinion, the greatest form of despair is the one that results in the destruction of hope._** " A snicker. " ** _The_** **same** ** _despair he felt when his friends didn't return, and won't return to normal. I savored that feeling, that imagery, that…_** **SATISFACTION** ** _of breaking a supposed_** **"Unbreakable"** ** _man._** "

"How do you plan on returning his powers?"

" ** _Through the ashes of War, and the_** **gift** ** _of Dust._** "

"What do you mean?"

" ** _War shall be the trigger. Dust, the catalyst. The former will make him remember his prowess as a warrior, while Dust returns him to his former glory._** "

"I…I don't understand the latter. Why is Dust a catalyst?"

" ** _Do you have piece of Dust on you?_** "

A Burn crystal was handed over. " ** _Observe._** " The Burn Dust was activated, and became an open flame in the one that held it. The free hand pulsed with power. " ** _Tell me what you can._** "

"Both are energy." A nod. "Both are ancient and more potent than Aura." Another nod. "It resonates with your own power." A shake of the head.

" ** _It's not resonating._** "

Silence made itself known for minutes. The Dust kept burning while the other hand continued on releasing power. "…The Dust has the feeling of being alive. I can't explain it, but I guess the energy signature of it is just too similar to yours; feels as lively as a sentient being."

The fire flickered away while the other hand stopped the release of power. " ** _That's because Dust_** **came** ** _from a sentient being. More precisely, the Hero, whose energy is similar to mine._** "

A slight panic was inserted in the following question. "What of the Maidens? What is their role?"

" ** _Sacrifices…if the catalysts fail. The Maidens were an afterthought. Deny all_** **He** ** _might, the Maidens combined aren't even twenty percent of_** **His** ** _destructive power, and not even five compared to mine. No. Most of_** **His** ** _power is now in the form of Dust, useable to all sentient beings -if one knows how to use it._** "

"…What of the His four heirs? What of their lineage?"

" ** _The Observer is trying his best to hamper me by letting certain pieces fall into place. The Guardian has lost his role through the times, yet the blood is still strong. The Soldier is but a child with a simple soul; it'll take years or a sudden event that forces an evolution for that one to be a nuisance. And the Gatekeeper-_** "

"I've met him. A silent one, but a firm believer in the stories of the past. I'm quite surprised that the quality of his locks are comparable to the shackles that hold the magnificent Beasts."

" ** _Only the Observer and the Gatekeeper are the ones that keep me in place with their effort. Only those two hinder me, but I can still bypass them with my own pieces. If the Guardian and the Soldier restore their roles…then my plans so far may not have come to pass._** "

There was a bit of contemplation, but the conversation continued. "I've yet to see the fruits of your plans. But let me ask this…was the lunar eclipse your doing? Was this one of your plans?"

" ** _Not at all. Not what I planned, but not unwelcome. A blessing in disguise, it was. I saw how much_** **His** ** _soul remembered. I can confidently say the inhabitants of_** **His** ** _soul remembered it quite well, and throughout that incident,_** **He** ** _did too._** "

"A final question." A hand motion that meant 'keep going' was given. "Of the lineage of the Four Heirs…which do you fear most will hamper your plans?"

" ** _The Guardian. Not because of his power, but because of his tenacity; the most troublesome trait passed down through the ages. The charisma to rally others is also another troublesome trait. Add in that accursed Semblance that only highlights_** **His** ** _tenacity, the Guardian is the one that embodies_** **His** ** _ideals._** "

"I will make note of that."

" ** _You sound like you're leaving._** "

"...I am your eyes after all."

" ** _Hmm…such a diligent little bird._** " An oppressive aura was released. " ** _But even diligent ones yearn for freedom. Shall I make your cage smaller?_** "

"You already did that seventeen years ago."

" ** _Ah…but it isn't everyday I get to meet the_** **Shadow's** ** _lineage. I just had to keep you._** "

"…"

" ** _Any retort?_** "

"None." And with that, the conversation ended. One felt jubilant at her plans, the other scornful for being forcibly made a caged bird.

* * *

Blake calmly read the large book while Adam responsibly returned the rest of the books Blake took to research her crazy fantasy. It's been an hour since she started reading the thing, and from what she gleamed from what she read, it felt like a novelization of an epic with the linearity and chronology of a biography. She wondered if the title of the book meant the beginning of her era or the beginning of the hero's life. Heck, the first 'chapter' of the book was a page long that contained a legend; one that harkened back to the Great Beasts, who powers were synonymous to weapons of mass destruction. Though never said in detail, the fact that nine beasts with terrifying power were mentioned...Blake comfortable naturally concluding that the Nine Beasts of this legend were the very same from a legend in her era. The next chapters were about a miserable childhood as an orphan that while incomparable to any Faunus' physical and mental abuse by the human race, the mere idea of mistreating a child was far crueler in her opinion.

' _To be treated like he wasn't even there… I'm shocked he was still able to socialize and function as a living_ being.'

But it wasn't all that bad for the child that grew to be a hero later on; he gained genuine friends as well as those he could call family despite not being of blood. They were a small light in his dark world. And apparently, two of the brightest "lights" in the hero's life were two friends of his -girls to be precise. With the way the book portrayed them with vomiting amounts of purple prose, Blake concluded from the get go that these two were important people. Still, it didn't change his overall environment.

And as she continued reading on, Blake realized the social, political, and economic structure of the lost era was similar to the current. The only glaring difference was the mismatched development of technology (seriously televisions were a thing, but not cars), the leader of the village the size of a Kingdom was a benevolent ruler with the powers of a dictator only checked by cumbersome council members whilst in all actuality was part of a country ruled by the true lord of the land, currency was made out of coins, and they had super-powered warriors that were (arguably) stealth enthusiasts or masters with the job description of a modern Hunter or Merc without the obligatory mission to eradicate Grimm. Oh and it was hardly peaceful because of power struggles against other countries.

Apparently, the hero's dream was to be the leader of this rotten village for the sole purpose of wanting people to respect him while being the strongest out of all of them. Blake knew such a childish ambition was one that would lead to mass ridicule towards him. Yet the hero never cared of the naysayers; he went into an academy that allowed him to learn how to become a fighter -a soldier for the village. The only shocker to Blake was minimum age of entry: Five.

Blake had to close the book for a moment to take a break. She looked to Adam, who read a fine piece of literature in his hands, and was immersed in it. If anything, she wanted to stop at this point, and just steal Adam's book for a more pleasurable time.

But she needed answers. Without a doubt, the situation frustrated her.

"Any problems there, Belle?"

"Just read that the hero was a child soldier in the making."

"…I'm intrigued." He remarked. "Anything else?"

"They have something like the Hunter's Guild to do jobs all over the world. The academy the hero went to was made to make them capable of protecting their village while doing international jobs for the right price." Adam nodded, fully comprehending Blake's words. He took a sip of his can of Crimson Taurus. Blake delivered the next line monotonously. "Best part is he went to an instructional institution at five."

Cue fountain of spit-take off to the side.

"Told you it was the best part."

Adam wiped his mouth. "No it wasn't!" He hissed at her. "I half expected you to say he went when he was at least the age of eight. But _five_?! That's kindergarten age!"

Blake crossed her arms. "It seems that you're taking this seriously."

"On the grounds that whoever thought of that book of yours is royally screwed in the head." Adam explained while he lowered his book onto the table. He got out of his seat, and pulled out a small bundle of tissues to wipe off his mess. "I don't particularly believe that what you're reading is a genuine piece of evidence that links our lord to the Hero."

"Fair enough. But I won't give up. What happened two days ago was not something that happened by chance. I'm sure of it." She opened the book again only to realize how much she had to read. She scooted back to see that she barely made a dent in the ridiculously thick book that rivaled -outperformed the thickness of an encyclopedia book!

"Best read up to what you can, Belle. You won't be finishing this one in four hours."

She continued on further, reading of the misadventures and misfortunes of childhood that not even she, a Faunus, ever experienced. His time at the academy came to a close with a final series of tests. He performed subpar at combat, barely passing in the paper test, and dismal at the strange sorcery-like techniques -in particular cloning.

From basic descriptions earlier introduced. The energy that was like Aura was called Chakra. If pronounced, it sounded like 'Chuck-ra' or something like that. But moving on, Blake read that this energy was the mixing of two energies, the energy of the body, and energy of the soul. The mixture of these two energies, and along with the necessary signals allow for that energy to expel out into the real world. With the right combination, a person could spit out a fireball, coat him or herself in lightning, cast illusions, and many more! And for the Hero, the basic illusory technique of making a clone stumped him enough to lead to failure.

Three years of failure. That was what Blake read when the author described the looks of mockery, disdain, sneers all aimed at Naruto. Even worse, Naruto had no one to console him to his normal self. His precious friends were there to cheer him up, but they couldn't help. They couldn't help because Naruto failed for his third time. He failed to become what he wanted to be. His only chance to prove people wrong was out of his reach permanently.

But. A spark of hope. Though Blake thought otherwise from the way the author wrote the scene. Naruto's hope was a secret test to claim the village's most treasured Scroll, where all of the village's forbidden techniques were stored. Naruto knew where it was, and how to easily get it, so he accepted the secret test. And in the dead of night, his heist for the Forbidden Scroll was executed successfully through the use of a simple perverted technique.

Blake had to frown on that method, but begrudgingly accepted it because it worked.

She read further on, where Naruto opened the Scroll, and read one of the contents inside. He read a few things too, and each time he learned something, and executed it well enough, his grin only got wider. Only when a teacher from his academy found him did he stop. And in the end, a plot was unearthed. The man who persuaded Naruto to take the Scroll meant to pin the blame on Naruto while he took the Scroll for himself. But more importantly...he told Naruto a grave and important secret. Blake guessed it had something to do with the stares, but she held her judgement in favor of reading the truth.

However, she did not expect the heavy burden Naruto literally carried. ' _A human weapon...with the power of a Great Beast inside of him. That was his identity to others of power. Monster to those who didn't understand._ ' It took a little more time for Blake to register the name the traitor called Naruto.

Blake opened her Scroll to make a call.

"What now?" Adam asked.

"Getting a little bit of help." Blake answered.

" _Blake? I'm surprised you'd make a call. Especially to me of all people._ "

"Ren. Do you know how to speak ancient Vacuo tongue?"

" _A tad._ "

"What does _Kyuubi Kitsune_ mean?"

A loud sound echoed from the other side of the call. "... _Where did you hear that?_ " Ren asked seriously.

"A book." Blake replied as she read on. Naruto ran away from the area. His teacher went and fought the traitor. And then when the teacher was on his last legs while saying that Naruto wasn't a monster; that he wasn't that stupid designation society placed upon him. The teacher said a few more encouraging words that Naruto returned with the intent of beating the traitor into the ground.

Through the use of a thousand or so amount of solid-made clones.

" _You're still looking into your theory?_ "

"I can't stop now, Ren." Blake heard a sigh from the stoic member of team JNPR.

" _Fine. I'll head to the library and help you with unfamiliar terms labeled in the ancient Vacuo tongue._ " Ren told to Blake. " _But to answer your question... Kyuubi Kitsune in the ancient tongue is roughly or technically translated as...Nine-Tailed Fox._ " The call ended.

"What new development is there?" Adam asked promptly after the call ended.

"The Hero had the power, or probably the whole being of the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside of him by the leader of his village. And if he is like in the legend of the Nine Legendary Grimm, then he used the Ninth's own power to fight." Blake answered. "The similarities just keep stacking up, Adam. They're making sense to me!" She told him. "The Hero seems to be always connected to the Ninth Great Beast. Even here...their link is blatantly stated in the text. Our own legends about him tied him to the Ninth Grimm." She couldn't stress this fact any more than she'd attempted to do for the past two days.

Adam scratched his head. "Fine. Say I believe what you're telling me so far. Did the book ever tell what the Hero looked like?" He waited for an answer. "I mean with how far you've gone into the life of the Hero. Surely by now you've passed the exposition, and know _what_ he looks like, right?"

Blake looked at the book. Then back to Adam. Then back to the book. "...I-I can't seem to recall. There was just..."

"-What kind of idiot author is this not telling what the protagonist looks like?!" Adam yelled with restraint.

"Look! Every time the Hero is talked about on a personal level, the point of view changes to first person. Nothing about his appearance is mentioned, and when it's in the third person, no mention of it is there either!"

"You'd think the author would at least put in a hairstyle or color." Adam slapped his left palm on his forehead. "Were you under the assumption that the Hero looks like our lord?" Blake was cornered. Hesitantly, she nodded. Adam sighed as he looked at the page. "Hm?"

Blake perked up because of Adam's increased interest.

"Does the next page have an illustration?" Adam asked.

Blake looked down on the book. Faint lines that made different angles bled into her current page. The Cat Faunus turned the page, and was silenced by what she saw. She turned to Adam, who was equally flabbergasted. "H-He looks..."

"-He looks exactly the same." Adam finished for Blake. "I've seen pictures of his younger days back at the orphanage Granny Lupa runs." Blake gave him a look. "What? She told me to call her that." He waved away the digression to return to the focus. "Without a doubt, by this illustration -this masterful sketch- is an exact depiction of our lord..."

Silence came in between the Faunus duo.

"Well?"

"Consider me persuaded, Belle." Adam answered lowly. "But...this isn't enough to persuade others. And even now, I'll admit I'm still a little skeptical. You're going to need to get some solid evidence that our lord's been reincarnated both in body and soul down to the last detail."

Without warning, Nora slid into the conversation. "Wasn't the Hero responsible for making the shells of people while Death released souls?!" Her sudden outburst shocked the pair. Nora noticed this, and recollected herself. "I mean...if that's the case, then shouldn't others from the Hero's time be reincarnated too?"

Blake had to ask, "Nora? Why are you here, if I may ask? I called for Ren."

Nora saluted Blake. "I came with him." She answered. "And he's just a few shelves away palming his face for my overeagerness!" The saluting hand was waved away. "Like I said, if reincarnation is true in the Hero's legend, then surely if you keep reading the book, you might notice names that are similar or even directly off of the book!"

Blake and Adam looked at each other. The latter chose to say something. "She isn't wrong as far as theory goes."

"Right?" Nora gushed.

Ren walked next to Nora. "Or you could skip to the end, and find a clue."

Blake stood up. "Ren. Glad you could make it. Oh. And thanks for the idea, Nora. By the way, both of you, this is Adam, a...friend. Adam, these are Nora and Ren."

Adam stood up, and offered his right hand. "Charmed." Ren and Nora shook the Bull Faunus's hand.

Ren continued on. "As I said before, you may also look at the end for clues."

"Why? A clue is vague, and I need solid evidence." Blake asked.

Nora glowed with a grin that reach one ear to the other. "Ren! You can't mean-?"

Blake stepped forward towards the partnered pair. "You two know something?"

"I know - _We_ know what you're reading is none other than _the_ rarest book in Remnant: _Tome of Beginning._ " Ren wasn't surprised by Blake's startled look. He continued. "We knew because you mentioned the title of one of the Great Beasts. And because we know, we also know the last piece of text written on the last page of that book." Ren gestured towards Nora.

Nora happily said the final page's content. "It's a poem that said the Hero would return! His death is meant to be a sacrifice, and that it's his sacrifice that keeps the world together!" Her increased volume instantly dipped. "At least that's an interpretation by people who believed it."

Blake and Adam read the poem on the last page, and saw that Nora explained it quite well. Both Faunus asked. "Why wouldn't they?"

Blake continued the series of questions. "And if this book is so rare, why do you know enough about it?"

Ren opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He looked to Nora for support. She merely nudged his left shoulder with her right. He sighed. "...My family held one of these books." Ren replied. "The story goes that if your family held one of these books, then your line was related to the author." He kept his monotonous tone. "And I can tell you why others who've read it under close supervision of the owners say that they don't believe it because the piece is considered as an elegy." Ren replied. "It may be done in first person to emulate the Hero's thoughts, but if one were to reason the chronological structure of the Tome, that piece needed to be placed in the section slightly before the Hero's death."

Blake felt the need to dig deeper. "That may be so-"

Ren interrupted. "-And I can tell you from word of mouth through generations that that last piece is an elegy, yet also a 'plausible' _prophecy_ with how much the supernatural comes into play with this book."

Blake, without a doubt, had a lot to think about. Ren's origins were added to that growing list. "...I'll take both your words into consideration. If you'd like, us four can read this with what little time we have left? With four pairs of eyes, I'm sure we can get more than a few pieces of evidence."

Adam turned to Blake. "Belle. What about the picture?"

Blake instantly flipped pages to get to the image. "What do you think of this?" She asked as she showed the partnered pair the picture that clearly resembled Naruto.

"It's...something."

"Other people aren't likely going to believe you, Blakey!"

Ren followed it up with, "-Coincidence. Appearance might have been pure coincidence."

"What do your ancestors say about the author that wrote about the Hero?" Adam questioned Ren.

He turned his gaze away. "None. I know nothing. They knew nothing."

"But now that we're here, why not read together? Huh, Ren? Whaddaya think?" Nora interjected. "Who knows...maybe the book isn't totally fantasy, and the legends are true!"

"Might as well." Ren said in surrender.

And so Blake continued where she left off. She read that Naruto was field-promoted, and was now an active member of their combat force. He was placed in a squad -a team of four that consisted of three rookies and one veteran. Names were listed here and there, but none popped out at anyone. However, Blake felt she heard the name "Sasuke" before.

Things only got "brighter" when he became instated as a Shinobi -a ninja- roughly (even that's a stretch considering their versatility) comparable to a Huntsman or Huntress in his or her prime. Because of his new job, he was given a new world to explore inside and outside the walls. He even found more people he considered precious to him.

During the Hero's first serious mission, Blake learned that he was quite the idealist like Ruby. The young hero and his team fought a veteran swordsman and an accomplice with an ice Semblance. The pair were hired to kill a bridge builder to keep the employer rich through monopolization of trade in the area. The Cat Faunus learned even further how the lost era worked; as long as a person could fight, they had a job from people from all walks of life as long as they employer could charge for the service.

In the end, the opposing pair died. The ice user sacrificed himself for the swordsman, who died by betrayal orchestrated by the employer. The employer himself died along with his army of normal mercenaries, who in turn wounded the swordsman even further to edge of death. Blake frowned at the aftermath. Money, military might, and information made this society run, and people took advantage of it. It made the hero forged an ideal for himself: to never run away in the face of overwhelming adversity, and to never go back on his word.

Blake idly thought of the Naruto she knew. Stubborn, reckless, and willing to do anything to follow up on his promise. ' _If he is the Hero, then he certainly has the core of his ego. And those techniques I can't recognize...they must be skills from his past life brought out of his id, or instinctive impulses._ ' A frown was set on her face. ' _If it's so...then these bouts of madness and a jump in skills are no doubt triggered every time he engages himself in a battle. And undoubtedly, the worst or most impressionable memories are the extreme cases that caused the resurfacing of both his ego and id._ ' Her eyes glazed over the pages, reading them mindlessly. ' _Though...they return into the deepest parts of his subconscious as far as I can_ tell.' The most important thought came off as a question. ' _What'll happen to him once he knows his true self?_ '

* * *

Jaune's world was blindingly white. No landmarks were visible to identify his location. No amount of shadows were there to contrast his surroundings. There wasn't even a horizon to tell if he even stood on solid ground. All he knew was that he was beside three boys. They had no features to them, but they were shining a certain color. One was green, the other, red, and blue. Jaune himself glowed white like his aura. But he and the others were in the presence of another person. They were in front of a man that glowed gold like the sun.

The man in gold bore the boys and Jaune with a gift for each. The man gave the boy in green a book. "Take this book, that grows to fit an infinite amount of pages. Record what you observe, or tell a story that never ends. Whatever you write, you must make it so that whatever you wrote lasts all throughout time." The boy in green smiled.

"Then I'll write your story!" Claimed the boy. "Tell me how you lived until now, and I'll write as many pages as it takes! You won't be forgotten; I'll make sure of it as my promise to you!"

The man patted the green boy's head. "I have no doubt you do as you said." He encouraged him before he moved on to the boy in red. "For you, I bestow a sword." The boy in red eagerly reached for the weapon, but the man stopped him. "When you hold it, it will no longer be a sword; it will be a weapon in the form you wish it to be as. So think hard on how my gift will benefit you, and form it will take to fit you." The boy in red crossed his arms as he went into a deep thought. When the boy made his decision, he grabbed the sword.

Instantly, the sword's form dispersed into wisps of silver that entered where the boy's eyes would be. Not a moment later, two balls of silver light made eye-like features. "My sword became my eyes. I'll make my enemies tremble under my stare, freeze them, or even destroy them; I'll make them feel your overwhelming power through these eyes!"

The man placed a hand on the boy in red's shoulders. "Then you must learn to control it responsibly. Your eyes are now weapons much like a sword; they can harm. You must know to keep your powers in check. Make a scabbard for the sword that now became your eyes. Only use them when it is an enemy that deserves your wrath, but never drown in it. Understand?"

The boy nodded vigorously. "I'll use it to wipe away those that harm the people I love and the world around them!"

The golden man moved on to the boy in blue. He gave the boy a padlock. "My gift to you is this." The man placed the lock in the boy's right hand, and the gift merged into the boy's skin. When the golden man's hand left the boy's, a circular tribal-like tattoo was etched on the palm. However, it didn't stop there. More markings -letters or characters Jaune never saw before in his life wrapped around the boy's right arm like a constricting snake. "You gained the knowledge to seal any and all things needed to be locked away from the world. You shall be the gatekeeper that keeps the world safe from those that would do tremendous damage upon the world."

"I promise none shall escape the cages I'll build." The boy told resolutely. "They'll be under lock and key for all eternity."

The man nodded silently, them moved in front of Jaune. In the man's hands was a shield. "My gift to you is this shield." Jaune reached out to it much like the boy in red. And like before, the man stopped Jaune from having it. "Like your brother's sword, your gift shall fit you to your own specific need. The sword is offensive in nature; the opposite of a shield. You must think of what your shield can turn into." Jaune was forced to think of himself as a shield. He didn't like that, but his body involuntarily reached for the shield.

Jaune held the shield in his hands. And like the sword, the shield made wisps of light that surrounded Jaune's already glowing body. The difference here was that the shield stayed. Confused, Jaune involuntarily let out a, "What?"

"I see. You made yourself the shield." A dome of fire emerged far behind the golden man. The didn't sound disappointed, but he did sigh heavily. "A shield that is unyielding, and pushes others back. A self-sacrificing shield that give all to the protection of others from any threat that comes." He gave Jaune, or rather the person Jaune possessed a smile. "I guess it's because you inherited my stubbornness."

Jaune involuntarily talked again. "That's right! I'm not backing down, or be moved by any threat! I'm standing in place to keep all those I cherish and others safe from harm." The claim was as ridiculous as it sounded in Jaune's opinion. However, he knew he was a hypocrite by thinking that. He remembered how irrevocably stubborn he was on protecting Weiss.

"As admirable as the thought may be... Even shields have their limits." The man spoke softly. "You can be as stubborn as you want protecting others, but if you can't protect yourself then you're not any different from those you're trying to protect." Jaune looked down. He used up everything he had to stop Naruto, and in the end was still beaten. He couldn't protect himself. "A self-sacrifice is a noble act. But if you do it all the time with the use of your gift, you test Death every single time. Each time you do leads closer to your demise. Never take your gift for granted, or it _will_ fail you in the end when you need it most."

"I promise I'll use it in times of necessity!"

"As you should." The man ruffled Jaune's hair as he looked at him and the other boys. "My sons...use these gifts well. Never stray from your purpose with these gifts, and they will stay strong."

The world washed away into white, but before the vision went away, Jaune thought he saw something. The man -four boys' father- casted a large shadow behind him. Jaune looked into it, and found countless silhouettes. He didn't know what to make of them; he didn't have the time to analyze them. No. All he could do was leave the vision, and weakly opened his eyes.

* * *

Naruto walked through a field of flames and rubble. He didn't know where he was, or why he was here, but he just kept going. All he could really tell was that he was searching. He searched and searched on as he ignored the ashes, dust, and the blistering heat around him. The ground glowed red from the heat. The air was hotter than any arid desert in summer. And yet he knew he wouldn't get hurt. He kept walking, jumping, running around as he persisted on searching for whatever it was he looked for. He kept his ears clear for any noise that pierced the crackle of the surrounding deathly inferno.

He snapped his head to the right when his keen hearing heard the whimpers and grunts of a child. He ran to the child. When he got there, he dug his hands into the red-hot rubble without a care. He ripped out rebar like ribbons; he scooped out chunks of walls, floors, ceilings as if they were weightless pieces of paper. His search got so sloppy that he looked like a dog that dug into the ground. The moment he found a hand poke out of the several feet of rubble he searched through, his excavation became focused and with calculated haste.

Unearthed, Naruto looked at a toddler no older than four. The child, born with hair darker than the night sky and with eyes equally void of color, leaked out tears and lost the voice to cry. When the child moved its gaze towards Naruto, its tears increased in output. It called out for the mother and father weakly. But to the normal person, they wouldn't hear it the way Naruto did. Naruto grasped the child's outstretched right hand, and firmly held onto it as he pulled the child out of the rubble.

"Don't worry little buddy. You're going to be fine!" Naruto reassured as he carried the child.

"M...a -hgk! Pa...!" The child's waterfall tears appeared to last forever.

Naruto closed his eyes, and left the area. The air was crisp and cool. The breeze was gentle; it didn't fan the flames like it was over there in the realistic depiction of Hell. No. Here on the mountain that watched over world on fire, he sat down and did his best to calm down the child. A cloud that hid the full moon moved out of the way. Silver strikes of moonlight shined off of the child's reflective black hair. However, the eyes didn't share that same effect.

He stared at _red eyes_ with a _single black bead_ on the iris of each eyeball.

Naruto's vision instantly distorted once more. He looked upon a red and shattered moon. Just then, a black tail blocked his view, and slammed down to hit him. He rolled out of the way. Without any moment to recover, a clawed hand came after his face. He bend his back backwards while he cocked his left arm. His right foot stepped forward, then his left arm followed. The strike connected, and the opponent was pushed backwards. The forest was further damaged as the fight went on.

"You're not getting past me!" Naruto heard himself involuntarily spoke out. "You hear me?! You're not getting past me! You're gonna return to normal even if it's the last thing I do!"

Naruto winced at the sentence repeated twice. A newer vision wanted to take over. Patches of his vision broke open like bricks that fell out of place. Before the surrounding fully changed, he got a good look at his opponent.

A giant Fox Grimm with nine tails.

Then in an instant, he was face to face with an exhausted Jaune, whose eyes looked like they glowed in determination. As he focused deeply, Naruto's peripheral vision of Jaune changed. The Arc's hairstyle changed; moreover, facial features were added. Naruto shook his head, and thought his mind played tricks on him. No way.

Impossible.

How screwed up was his vision to mess Jaune up with himself?

The scene in front of him went into a rapid-paced rewind. Glimpses of his insane self as he tore up Beacon and the forest caused memories of that night to trigger naturally. The rampage he had... His lack of care for others... His inability to recognize _anyone_... -to fail to recognize Weiss. He looked down in shame as he remembered her words.

 _"I-If...this is...my final moment. Please remember...my words, Na...ruto. You...take care of yourself now. Better -ngh control your...temper. No one...will like you if you're like this...all the time. If I sound like...I'm lecturing...then it's because I care. And ...And I want...nothing more than my friends to be...safe."_

Yet at the same time, he couldn't help but remember who he mistook Weiss as.

The misty image of a woman in white left a foul taste in his mouth. Even voices in his head agreed, and he didn't even know he had them! He simply balled his hands up into fists while he gritted his teeth as a name popped up. "K-"

* * *

Naruto's eyes violently opened. His breathing rate increased to a runner's pace before he went into hyperventilation. His eyes darted out into all directions as he went and assessed his surroundings. The sudden return into the realm of consciousness was a shock for him and for the person that was in the room as well. His eyes locked onto the intruder's form.

Nurse.

Female.

Jade eyes.

Pink hair.

Cherry-Blossom scented perfume.

He felt like he knew her. Not like a familiar face, but as someone he genuinely knew. A sharp ring ripped him away from his train of thought. A distortion in his vision invaded his reality once more. The more Naruto wished to remember something, the more the pain in his head increased. Yet he stubbornly tried. He just saw things! Important things that could give answers! There was no way he'd let those escape! His hyperventilating condition only worsened along with his heart rate going into a severe form of tachycardia. ' _I'm not giving them up!_ ' He stubbornly thought! The irises of his eyes flashed from blue, to orange, to red rapidly. Naruto wanted to claw out the pain that throbbed in his head.

Instead, Naruto got soothing relief from the pain. A hand was placed on his forehead and another on his chest. A tranquilizing green light surrounded the nurse's hands. The pain in his head and chest lessened to a degree. "Calm down, Mr. Uzumaki." Said the nurse. "You're all right. You're no longer in that battlefield. You're back in the real world." The words were said as softly and comforting as possible. His breathing and heart rate were still hyperactive, but he recovered at a snail's pace. "Breath easy now. I'll be back in a sec." She left his side to get something.

Not a moment later, the nurse came back with a paper bag. She told him to breathe into it. He did as told, and soon his condition stabilized. When the nurse deemed him okay, she took the bag away from him. She asked him how he felt; he replied with "Better." However, from the way his arms and legs were wrapped in bandages, he wasn't. "What happened?" He asked.

"..."

"Please. Tell me."

"Your arms from the elbow down suffered burns. The same can be said for your feet and the areas just above your ankles." She reported to him honestly. "I've used my Semblance, and I hope it's enough to help." She turned away. "I...I actually haven't checked it because you suddenly woke up."

Naruto looked at the nurse. "Why don't we look at your work together?"

She turned around. "You'd want to see my handiwork?"

"Why not? I'm awake. You told me you healed my burns -at least you think so. So why not check?" He asked simply.

The nurse gingerly unwound Naruto's bandages one by one. Each time she finished, she gave a sigh of relief to know that her efforts were a complete success; total skin regeneration happened for the burnt areas of her patient's limbs. But what was left was... "Show me your palms." She looked at his understanding expression. His healed hands showed their palms. The nurse dumped a handful of ice on each palm.

The sudden feeling of cold made Naruto visibly shiver from his hands, to his arms, then his back in a comical way.

"Success." The nurse smiled as she retrieved the ice cubes.

"What was that for?" Naruto asked.

"To test if I've regenerated your nerves too."

"Eh?"

"You burnt off your superficial nerves inside the skin of your hands." She explained. She merely sighed when the patient tilted his head in confusion. "Nerves are things that make you feel things, Mr. Uzumaki. They also are the ones responsible for sending and receiving brain signals to make you move or react. Your burns injured these nerves. And normally, nerves aren't supposed to return after they've been damaged. I fixed it for you."

Naruto looked at his hands. He tested his fingers one by one. Each finger moved seamlessly to his command. There wasn't any delay in his responses; she completely healed him. The edges of his mouth curved upwards. It creeped up and up until it blew into a full-blown grin. "Thank you for all you've done, nurse! Words can't express just how much I'm grateful for this! He reached out for the nurse's hands. "Thank you very much!"

"I'm a nurse. It's my job to get you back to normal." She told him. "Now. Go rest. You'll need it for a full recovery. I'll be here for a little while longer, so don't worry about being lonely."

"...I'll try." Naruto said as he placed his back on the bed once more. "But...before I fall asleep, may I know your name?"

"It's Sakura Haruno, Mr. Uzumaki."

Naruto gazed at the ceiling. "Sakura..." He tested out the name. It was familiar. Very familiar. "...Beautiful name." He muttered the compliment just as he closed his eyes; his visions of a past he didn't know about were gone. Not gone from his memories, but rather that he didn't experience any more that'd haunt him for the moment. He felt some relief from that. Instead his dreams were inhabited by the falling of cherry blossoms on a peaceful spring morning.

* * *

In the dark of night, a silhouette of a woman entered Naruto's room. She stared at the young man while her hands neared her sword.

Yet instead of cutting him down, she spoke. "Your final words to your heirs and wives was the elegy written in the book." She paused for a moment as she recalled its contents. "You spoke of a return, and here you are in the flesh, but not in the mind..." The woman took a deep breath. "I...am elated at your return. But so is _She_. _She_ is ready for you; however, you aren't even ready for the trials to come upon your reemergence." A tiny bit of dread was expressed as a twitch of her body. " _She_ aims to reset what you've built. _Her_ pieces are set. But you're not even on the board." Her right hand reached for her sword's handle; this time, her hand shook rapidly.

Any indication that the Faunus heard her wasn't present when the Faunus readjusted himself to remain comfortable in his bed.

"I have half a mind to stall _Her_ plans by killing you." She said. "After all, _She_ wants you at your best to fall from your peak. She's doing all this for you." She sighed lowly. Her right hand didn't rattle anymore. "But even I know that following through with that action is foolish. _She_ would know I did it. And I can't jeopardize my friends and family if I did do it. It already cost me a best friend, and I'm not about to do that the rest." In a low voice, she said. "I say to you... Promise me you'll fight at your best and win. If not for the world, then fight for those you care for. That was what you taught the people of my lineage, and now I say it to you." She turned around to walk away, but stopped. "But first...a gift meant to be returned to its rightful owner." The woman pull something from inside her shirt. After she gave it, she left the room.

Not by using the door, neither by using the window. No. She left in the shadows like those people from the era long forgotten.

With the moon's light reflecting upon its surface, the jade crystal accompanied by two tiny steel beads swung about Naruto's right wrist.

 _ **And this is it for now. Did you enjoy it? I hope I made a lot of progress inserting actual Naruto elements with this chapter along with linking it to the present era in this story. And hey, I also added another angle to this story. I've certainly gave hints to the Four Heirs right? Right? Ah...well if it glosses over, then it's no matter so long as you understand Naruto had quite a large amount of influence in the world of Remnant.**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don't care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	39. A Simple Link

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 35: A Simple Link

Teams R(W)BY and (J)NPR and a lone Adam formed a circle in a corner of the library known to be the quietest area. On one side were the ones well-informed on the subject, while the other side were the ones just getting in on the whole conspiracy theory. And on the latter side, one was distracted, the other uneasy, and the last one didn't know what to make of it. Blake gave the latter group the overview of last night's events.

When done, Blake cleared her throat. "So…what do you think?"

"…I think what you're trying to understand through your search is admirable, but it also seems too daunting and ambitious." Pyrrha replied. "I'd like to think that your theory is quite over your head." She took a deep breath. "And while you have quite a bit of…speculative evidence to prove your point, I think you're jumping the gun so to speak."

The Cat Faunus folded her arms. "Why is that so?"

Ruby spoke up. "I understand you're proving your point through similarities between the Naruto we know the book's own Naruto. But…" She scratched the sides of her head. "-I-I don't know how to explain it! It's just so-"

"It relies on assumptions. It simply relies on too many assumptions along with comparative observations." Adam finished for Ruby.

"Y-Yeah!"

Blake turned to Adam appearing hurt by the words. "I thought you were a believer?"

Adam raised a finger to correct Blake. "You _persuaded_ me that there's _something_ that links our lord to the Hero. Yes, we have evidence; however, they are _flimsy_ , and you know it, Blake."

Ren and Nora nodded. The former spoke. "Blake, what you don't understand is that you're taking the words made countless generations as the absolute answer for _everything_ related to Naruto and the incident over the weekend. You also don't understand that we only gave you ideas to help further your progress; they aren't answers nor are they supposed to be _._ "

Nora took her turn to talk. "We believe there's truth to it, but not everything in it is supposed to be word of god or something."

Blake turned to her partner. Her amber eyes begged for support, yet… "Yang?" She called. "Yang!"

Yang gazed at the sky behind her. She barely registered the sound of someone calling for her. "Hm? Oh…my bad for zoning out." She shook her head, and slapped her cheeks a couple of times. "From what I've heard from your goal, Blakey, you want to prove reincarnation is a thing."

"That's not-"

"It is if you're trying this hard to prove that Naruto is the Hero." Yang said seriously. Blake snapped her mouth shut. "And while it's fun and games for now, you're going to drag yourself through the mud trying to prove a point that's not even there." Blake wanted to protest, but that was quickly shot down by Yang's next words. "What was that idea you adopted from Nora? You believe that the names in that book will be the same if they're _reincarnated._ " Yang stood up from her seat. "That's…next level assumptions. That's your belief in your idea being cranked up to eleven." A fist pushed down on the table's surface. "I get that by some strange turn of events, someone may have the exact same name. But that's just it. They're names. You can have as many Amethysts, Rubys, Emeralds, Sapphires, and so on and so on. But you know what? None of them will _ever_ have the same face." Her eyes flashed red for a moment. "You know what you're doing, Blakey? You're looking for answers to a coincidence. Stop. For the sake of your sanity, stop." Yang turned around and pinched the bridge of her nose. An alarm on her Scroll snapped her out of a malicious tone. She looked at it for a moment before she put it away. "Actually, do what you want, but _don't_ let this rule your life; it'll cost you if you do." The final member of team RWBY sighed deeply as she left the library with heavy thoughts and an appointment to get to.

Blake was silent. Even her partner thought her idea was ridiculous.

"Hm…Miss Xiao Long's words hold truth to them." A man said. All eyes scrambled towards the source of the voice.

"Headmaster!" They all said with restrained shock.

"And a good morning to you all." The man greeted with a smile before he took a sip of his coffee.

"Headmaster Ozpin…what brings you here?" Ruby asked after she was calmer from the Headmaster's impressively silent entrance; not even two Faunus heard the man until he made his presence known.

"Me? I came here to occupy my afternoon with a good book, and yet imagine my surprise when I hear one of my students looking up ancient legends and linking it up with one of my employees who has the same name." Blake in particular wanted to sink into the floor. "While I will not say it's completely ridiculous, I'd like to think you'd have more common sense Miss Belladonna." The Headmaster continued to walk towards his specific destination in the library. "In the time that book was made, centuries have passed. You're more likely to find a Grimm that old than finding someone that's a reincarnation of a person from the Hero's time while also harboring their original name." He stopped, and took a sip. "Even more likelier, you'd find the mystery of the origin of Dust before you found a convincing link between my most talked about employee and the Hero." He gave a lazy wave. "Don't merely jump into conclusions. You'll only find ruin from such actions."

"Words from experience, Headmaster?" Adam questioned.

"Words from a foolish man who is a friend of a reckless one." Ozpin replied promptly before he left the vicinity of the group.

Said group was left in stunned silence. Ren, Nora, and Adam were fully aware of this foolishness, but were still somewhat hopeful there was such a link. Pyrrha and Ruby were already skeptical about Blake's ideas; however, the latter was more inclined to believe it was possible. Deep down, Ruby had a feeling Blake was right, but that her teammate and the rest of them didn't know where to look for the right answers. Blake herself internally admitted she was too gung-ho about the idea; everyone else thought she was being foolish.

"Why don't we put this topic to sleep for now?" Pyrrha suggested. "I don't mean to be a rude one, but Blake, I think your time will be well spent on focusing on something else for now."

"But-"

"Belle." Adam called while he adjusted his sunglasses. "Leave it for now." He stood up from his seat. "I heard your lack of tact was the catalyst to our lord's discovery of his suppressed Aura." He watched the Cat Faunus flinched. "If you leak this out to him when you yourself aren't even fully sure of it, you will destroy him." The Bull Faunus finished his piece, then left the library to start his shift for the day.

And yet again silence reigned supreme.

Until the Queen of the Castle broke its legs. "Blake! Question!" Nora was quite loud about it. "Does that guy wear sunglasses even at night?!"

"Nora...don't bother Blake any more for today. Let's leave her to her thoughts; she has enough to ponder." Ren stood up while he pulled Nora by her right hand. "Come, we have some advance reading to cover for the lesson tomorrow." Despite Nora's protest, Ren succeeded in pulling her away.

Pyrrha stood up too. "I'll be on my way as well, Blake. I'd like to check up on Jaune, Weiss, and Naruto. I heard the first two are already well enough that they may leave the next day while Naruto woke up yesterday." The champion looked to Ruby. "Would you like to come as well, Ruby?"

"Sure!" Ruby stood up from her seat, but without a final few words. "Blake. Don't stop looking. I'm sure you'll find the answer you're looking for with the evidence to go along with it; just push through it, and you'll get there."

* * *

"Ozpin."

The Headmaster of Beacon didn't look up from his book. Not even a glance was sent to the direction of the source of the voice. He continued his reading, and ignored the call. His right index finger dug into the top right corner to search for the next page. Slowly, the fingertip glided past the other pages that rippled like water to his touch until he reached the desired location. In one swift motion, Ozpin turned the page.

"Ozpin." The Headmaster's name was called once more. And again it was ignored. Heavy footsteps came towards the Headmaster. The one who called the Headmaster shouted, "Did you not he-"

A cane to the throat promptly shut the man up. "I heard you quite well, James." Ozpin told truthfully. "I ignored you in favor of this book. I needed to get away from stress at the moment." And yet the bespectacled man shut the book like a small clap of thunder. Ozpin tucked the book in his left hand, and faced his Artesian counterpart. "But...if you must interfere with my peace and quiet, then let me hear what you have to say."

Ironwood looked left and right the moment Ozpin's cane was lowered. "Here? On the library balcony? What of eavesdroppers?"

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "And yet here you are causing a commotion when you could have approached me in stead of yelling for my name from several feet away." He shook his head. "But I digress. Either you tell me here and now, or you leave me be for the rest of the day so that we can discuss what you want to discuss by first light." The firm delivery of the sentence gave the desired effect of making Ironwood speechless for a moment or two.

"I've been given a report." ironwood whispered. "Weapons as well as explosives by the truckload are being shipped into Vale."

"James...in this society we live in, that is nothing surprising. We live in fear of Grimm, we fight with weapons either forged or bought." Ozpin reminded the Atlesian Headmaster. "But I know you are not a total fool; you merely phrased it without the necessary details." Ozpin cleared his throat, and stood up as straight as possible. "So...are the suppliers those connected to the criminal underground here in Vale? What of the groups buying -who are they? Just where are you going with your 'briefing', James?" The rapid fire questions did not overwhelm the Atlesian, but it did put an imperceptible frown.

Ironwood let out a small cough. "Well... I see you're well-informed."

"I live in this Kingdom, I should know what's happening in it." Ozpin replied.

"Then why not-"

Ozpin lifted his cane again in front of the Atlesian Headmaster. "I suggest you stop right there, James." The near-invisible frown on Ironwood became visible. "Admirable of you to take charge. I'm sure the people of Atlas welcome it." The Headmaster of Beacon lowered his cane, and turned to face the battle-scarred Emerald Forest. "But you are here in _Vale_. Another _place_. Another _Kingdom._ And while the monarchies of Remnant are no more, us Valeans, when it comes to problems big and small, stay true to the words of the first and only King of Vale."

"And that is?"

"Firmly stand on your own two feet." Ozpin stated, yet hadn't finished. "If that is improbable, an offered hand is acceptable. However, in the end, you must prevail on your own."

Ironwood was left silent as he thought about the saying. The man folded his arms as his face held a hint of either disappointment or a saddening discovery. "I see... You've adopted the ideal of Vale's King, and used it as a model to teach your students."

Ozpin nodded. "And you yourself emulated the late King Dur's ideal to be the guiding force that leads all to prosperity and victory."

"I suppose history repeats itself." Ironwood spoke. "Your King and mine were not a pair most could consider friends, nor the best of allies. A pair connected through a reluctant compromise at best."

"Is that what you want to come out of this conversation? A compromise?"

"Yes." Ironwood replied. "We need it if we are to make the Vytal festival safe."

Ozpin didn't need much time to think; he was already aiming for a compromise to begin with. "Very well...let me hear your ideas, and we can go from there." The Headmaster of Beacon walked back into the library, and most likely headed for his office for a more private conversation.

* * *

Qrow entered a ruin that hid in the forests between Vale and Vacuo. It wasn't deserted. Trinkets and personal effects of his sister were evidence that she lived here among the items, textbooks, letters, diaries, and storybooks littered the floor. He remembered the place, and noted that aside from the new additions, the ruins itself hadn't changed that much. The positions of some of the fallen columns were the same. The rubble in the far back corner of this once great hall was still there.

He took a look at one particular entry down by his feet. He crouched to take it, and read it to himself.

 _The landscape blurred into new terrain. Plains grew into mountains. Rivers became lakes. Valleys became desserts. Islands became continents. Clearly, an unbelievable amount of time passed, and not once did he age. Naruto never felt frail, helpless, or easily fatigued._

 _I can see it in his eyes, the years that came to pass._

 _Next to him was an individual. A student, the child of his previous student, me, Hayate, 23rd generation to come after his original student. Master turned around to face my son, Kilik. "Still shadowing me?" Master asked._

 _My son frowned. "You didn't finish teaching me!"_

 _"A lesson in the field is worth twenty with me." Master pointed out. "Practicality over theory. Experience over recklessness." The three sentences made Kilik wince. "You have neither the practicality nor the experience. So get a move on, boy!"_

 _Kilik scowled fiercely at the laissez-faire attitude Master conducted for his training. To be fair, I did too. It wasn't a surprise. In fact it's a trend to hate that time Master made us go independent. "But-"_

 _"Are you actually learning anything by getting tossed around like a ragdoll?"_

 _"Not to get caught is one thing..." Kilik's scowl remained, and only grew bigger. "It's like this with dad too! Why can't I learn everything from you? Why do I have to go out to test myself?"_

 _Master ruffled Kilik's hair, one that resembled the style of my ancestor -his best friend-, "Because I'm a level you won't reach right now. And like your predecessors, they had to make the effort to reach to their peak." He scratched the left side of his face. "I'm surprised really...your ancestor from a millennia ago would have been too prideful to send me a legacy of his to train in my arts. And yet, after your ancestor's first child was of age, he went to me with a contract of sorts to push you to your limits under my tutelage. Anyways, a test in the field is great to see how far you've come."_

 _"...Fine. I'll do it." The brash student, hot-blooded son of mine groaned as he walked away. "But you better teach me something new after this!"_

 _"Fine. Fine…"_

 _I appeared next to my Master. "My liege." I greeted monotonously._

 _"_ _Hayate…"_

 _I bowed to him. My necklace swung out of the collar of my shirt. "Pardon my formalities, but I've word of the Kingdom of Crag's movements."_

 _A change in tone was apparent when the next words were uttered. "Are they truly planning to go to war?"_

 _"_ _Yes. Word was sent by Kuzuki." I told him. "They plan on monopolizing the Dust and raise an empire after their raids on all the kingdoms." Master shifted slightly. As if anticipating a follow-up question, I said, "The Kingdoms of Ember, Pulse, Bramble, and Rift ready their arms for a confrontation. Only Mantle, Vacuo, and Mistral are neutral or refuse to go to war."_

 _"_ _And what of ours?"_

 _"_ _They are loyal to you. They will follow your wishes."_

 _Master faced me. "War will come to our walls. It is inevitable. As such…when the day of battle comes, tell the people of the Kingdom of Vale to stay. Do not follow to war. This applies to you and the Shadows as well as the Glaives, Bolts, Javelins, Chevaliers, Magi, and Executioners."_

 _"_ _You want the_ whole _of your army to stand by?!" I asked in surprise._

 _"_ _Yes."_

 _"_ _Why?"_

 _"_ _I want them to live." Master answered truthfully. "I don't want their bodies buried beneath the canyon."_

 _I shook my head in confusion. "…W-What are you talking about? Vale isn't anywhere near canyons."_

 _Master reached for his sword, forged to compliment the remaining amount of his power. "Not yet."_

 _I understood the cryptic answer and physical gesture. "…No. Master! No, you can't do this!" I went down to his knees, and bowed my head to the ground. "You have a kingdom to lead! A Queen waiting to be found! A life to live..." My voice was audible, yet my Master clearly let my words fall on deaf ears._

 _"_ _It's time I returned to the shadows, Hayate." Master said. "I've already interfered enough. Let them figure it out after this. Let them learn from their mistakes. Time I return...to being a hermit."_

 _"_ _Master…"_

 _"Remember why I chose to train you like I did? Do you remember those words, Hayate?"_

 _I bowed even lower if it was even possible. "You told me to '_ _Firmly stand on your own two feet. If that is improbable, an offered hand is acceptable. However, in the end, you must prevail on your own.'"_

 _"Indeed those were the words. And in the case of Master and student...who do you think is on what side of that saying I made?"_

 _I sighed in defeat. "The student is the one that must stand on his own; you, Master are the offered help. But as I am now, I can stand on my own. I can fight! I can help!"_

 _"_ _Raise your head, Hayate." I followed the order. Master offered me his hand. I graciously took it. "Good. Let us enjoy these numbered days."_

 _"I cannot!" I told my Master. "Not when I can do something."_

 _"Focus on your child, not my own actions, Hayate." Master ordered. "I'm hundreds of centuries old. I can handle any that may come. Let me do this."_

 _"And what of the people of Vale as a whole? Don't you remember your duty to them? Don't you remember your friends?!"_

 _"I know. And it changes nothing." Master replied so simply; it irked me. But I suppose a mortal-turned-immortal saw things as trivial once they reached a certain age. "They'll learn to stand on their own two feet. They are a strong people, both the Humans and Faunus races. Together, they'll stand in the face of many great obstacles." And here I was...stunned silent as he proved me wrong. Master's faith in his people was unshakeable. Not a hint of uncertainty was in his voice; only pride came out of his mouth._

 _It was three months later that Crag declared war. Ember, Pulse, Bramble, and Rift answered the challenge._

 _The first King of Vale answered it too. By himself. I personally had to calm down the whole of Master's army and people with a public announcement. They…didn't take too kindly to Master's order, and rebelled against it. They wanted to protect their King. I did too._

 _We marched for the plains northwest of the Kingdom's walls. The moment we went past the walls, the plains over in the horizon were set ablaze by a golden inferno._

It appeared that her time was spent reading story after story and also read a series of entries in their family history. She was engrossed in it as far as Qrow could tell; it was all she and Qrow ever heard about from their father when they were children; stories of how their family's ancestors were students of the Hero. He and his sister may have believed in them as children, but he grew up thinking of them nothing more as stories like his sister did. But…that mentality changed for him.

It seemed the same happened to his sister.

Qrow saw it the moment his sister entered the ruin. "Had a feeling you'd be here." He said as he reclined on a toppled column. "And how lucky am I to get that just right."

"Qrow…"

"Sis."

"Why are you here?" She asked.

"What other reason would I be here?" Qrow asked with a small hint of annoyance. "You pointed me to a fresh ruin that's supposed to be dust in the wind!"

"Oh. So you found it."

"Yeah. And I want answers!" Qrow stood up from his column, and demanded. "Why was it there, Raven? Why was _it_ there too?!" Raven walked past him. "Answer me, Raven!"

"Because I realized father's stories were more than just that, and you saw evidence of that."

Qrow raised an eyebrow. "In what way was that evidence?"

"That the Hero is real, and he's been reincarnated."

Qrow took out his sword, and stabbed it into the ground. "Here's the part where I'm supposed to say "That's bullshit" isn't it?" He rhetorically asked. He was met with silence. He sighed since it was a typical reaction. He merely shook his head, and moved on. "To be honest, the conversation would have gone like that had I not met my fellow Guardians."

Raven turned around. "Tell me. Do they have the exact faces sculpted on that cliff wall?"

"Three of them I know personally, and I'll tell you that they're mirror images." Qrow answered. He walked around the ruins with no clear destination. He just needed to keep him off the edge a little. "And for those three, same first names too. And while I'd like to think this is pure coincidence, something tells me it's not." He took out his flask for a drink. He tucked it away in his back pouch then kept walking. "Just what is going on, Raven? A call...within three years. That's not like you. Not at all..."

"..."

"Don't go all silent on me now, Raven." Qrow growled. "I need answers. Now."

"The apocalypse." Raven replied with those two simple words.

Qrow snapped his head towards his sister. "...You've got to be kidding me." He watched his sister's expression, stoic as ever. A frown formed on the drunkard's face. "No. I guess you're not." He walked towards his weapon. "So what? You found this out seventeen years ago, and left your family to do something about this world-changing event? Just left without a word, and kept the burden all to yourself? That it?"

"I want nothing more than to come back." Raven admitted. "The years have taken a toll on me, Qrow. Too much happened too quickly seventeen years ago. I can scarcely blame Ozpin since part of it was my fault as well."

Qrow fumbled on his question. "W-What do you mean your fault? What happened all those years ago?"

"...You wouldn't believe me even if you tried."

Qrow gave Raven the expression of challenge. "Try me." He said.

"We're wasting time. Talk to Ozpin. Tell him to hasten the creation of his safeguards and contingencies." Raven ordered. "It's imperative that he's ready because division is the key to the apocalypse."

"What do you mean? Division of what? You can't be all cryptic with me if you want me to do something!" Qrow shouted at his sister. "Tell me! Give me answers!" He demanded from his sister. "We need answers!" He shouted with a purpose. A purpose that strayed heavily away from the conversation. Qrow looked down with fury in his eyes. " _I_ deserve answers. _Taiyang_ deserves answers. _Yang_ deserves answers!"

But he never got those answers.

All he got was the sight of his sister looking away from him while her eyes were on the verge of tears right before she disappeared in front of him.

* * *

"What can you say, Doctor?" Eis Schnee asked as he sat beside his youngest daughter, who sat at the edge of her hospital bed. "Can she be discharged?"

The silver-haired doctor smiled as he readjusted his glasses. "Your daughter has fully recovered from her extreme physical exertion during that battle." He said happily while he pushed his office chair off into the corner to type up the necessary details of his patient's condition for the report and so on. He continued by saying, "And while her reason of being here was merely due to that as well as Aura exhaustion, it's suggested that she take it easy for the next few days to recuperate into her daily routine." He turned his chair around. "I do believe you can handle that kind of responsibility, Miss Schnee?"

Weiss nodded. "I will."

"Good. It seems my words got through you far easier than your friend, Jaune." The doctor said. "He declared that he had no time to waste -that he needed to become a better warrior to protect those he cared for." He shook his head. "He's got heart for sure, but at this rate, he'll be quite the self-destructive Huntsman in the future."

Weiss idly remembered Jaune's desperate stand against Naruto. She admitted that he was self-destructive at that moment. So she spoke up. "How is he, doctor?"

The man didn't look away from his computer. "Hmm...physically, he has a fractured left arm that will heal by Friday." Weiss gave a small sigh of relief. "Mentally...you could say he's heading down the deadly route of your chosen career path. It's admirable, his drive to protect; his will is like that of a storybook knight." He sighed. "But it won't do him any good to jump in without any way to protect himself either."

Weiss closed her eyes to think on the matter. She thought that Jaune certainly needed someone to recognize his merit. She herself needed to thank him; he saved her life after all. ' _But it doesn't make sense that his personality could change that quickly. He was the type to reluctantly fight against terrible obstacles! Now he's self-destructive?_ ' She hardly believed that was the case. She moved on to the next person she worried about. "And what of my other friend, Naruto?" She asked. "How is he doing?"

"Ah. That one." Weiss didn't like how the doctor referred to Naruto. "Your friend is doing very well, Miss Schnee." His tone changed for the better. "Polite young man. I have to say he had luck on his side since his nurse was one of our most gifted. His burns were healed and the nerves were replicated as well. It was the only set of injuries he sustained, and even then the burns appeared quite specific." He waved a hand around, "But that is of little consequence now that your friend is in the process of recovering through rest. I'm sure like you and Mister Arc, he will be discharged soon -maybe later in the evening."

Weiss' expression morphed from composed to glee; she gave off a gentle, yet regal smile that fit Weiss to a tee. "I see! That's a heavy worry lifted off my shoulders." She told to the doctor. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Miss Schnee."

All the while, Eis Schnee looked at his daughter's elated face. He heard much of his daughter's relationship with his friend's heir. It was ironic that his daughter's first true interaction with the young man was quite similar to his own first meeting with Minato: hostile. And like a repeat of history, the next generation became friends. Best friends. ' _Okay. Maybe not that far.'_ He thought as his fatherly 'daughter-chastity-presevation' instinct came alive. But that was short-lived. He was just glad Weiss was safe and happy. He had to thank the Arc boy too for the help. As much as he hated it, a thanks was in order.

Not three minutes later, the doctor said that the paperwork was taken care of, and Weiss was free to leave the room. He also said the rooms of both of Weiss's blond friends. The father and daughter duo left the room. Weiss led the way to Naruto's room with a slight spring to her step that not many, if at all could notice. Years of conditioning kept Weiss's happiness hidden quite well.

When they reached the hallway Naruto's room was supposed to be in, the sight of Naruto choking the life out of an unknown woman alerted them.

* * *

Naruto was awake. His gaze was pointed to the sunny setting outside his window. Nothing in the outside was out of place. At least he hoped with how his eyes like to screw him over with those memories that seem like his, but couldn't prove otherwise. Sure his name was mentioned, but even then, there are people with the same name as him as far as he knew; Naruto was a popular name after all —or so he heard from Mercury and Emerald when the two were in Vacuo.

But really, he had a more pressing matter to attend to. He raised his right hand, and looked at the necklace that was wrapped around his wrist as a bracelet. Again…things, places, and people that seemed familiar warped reality for a moment. This jewel was not an exception.

Images of yet another woman flashed in his mind -some woman he probably considered and familiarized as a grandmother. But…not only that. The necklace didn't stay with him. At least that's how it felt. His left hand gingerly wrapped around the jewel, and 'connected' with it.

Oh this jewel had a lot of stories to tell…

And most of them ended the same way: giving it away to the first child of the previous apprentice when said child was an expert in -apparently- his own eyes. And his own eyes told him, he taught the very same people who inherited those damnable eyes. His Aura flickered in response to his wavering emotions.

 _"_ _Papa!"_

Naruto heard the sound of the child he saved from the raging inferno in his dreams. But from this vision…the child grew up a little -maybe a year or two later after that event in his dreams. He wondered why he called that of all things.

 _"_ _Kuro…I'm not-"_

 _"_ _Papa!" The child insisted. "Teach me h-how to be strong!"_

 _"_ _Why?"_

 _"_ _So I don't lose anymore people I care about." The child answered boldly, and proudly too with how his puffed out chest emulated a manly posture. "I don't want to lose you or Hikari or anyone else!" The child said resolutely. "So that's why I want to be as strong as you."_

 _"_ _Well…you're a bit too young, Kuro." Naruto said to the child. "But…how about this." He pulled his necklace off of his neck to hang it around the child's own. "That necklace is a good luck charm. It used to be bad, but with how much good luck I've pushed into it, it's going to keep you protected from harm along with anyone else you hold close to you." He ruffled the boy's hair. "How's that sound?"_

 _The boy leapt to him, and hugged him tight. "Thank you, Papa!"_

 _"_ _Kuro…"_

 _"_ _Papa!" The boy insisted._

The vision ended promptly. "The more I see these weird dreams…the more I'm starting to think that I have a lively imagination…" He muttered to himself. No. Naruto didn't believe in reincarnation.

But he did believe in alternate realities!

A knock on his door took him out of his musing. He looked at the door, and found himself face to face with Mercury, Emerald, and an unknown woman. Naruto instinctually balled up his hands into fists. The atmosphere around the new face was heavy, and Naruto himself kept cautious. The woman gave him a heightened sense of foreboding. But, he had to keep a polite façade. "Hi guys! Who's the tag-along?" He asked.

The trio entered the room, and the woman in question stepped forward. "I'm Cinder Fall, teammates to Mercury and Emerald." She introduced herself without any difficulty. "I heard you were friends with them, so I just had to come meet you!" She walked closer to him, and offered her hand.

Naruto looked to his friends, who barely looked him in the eyes. The Faunus imperceptibly scowled; his friends were roped into introducing him to this woman. At least that's what his instincts told him. He guessed that the pair, his friends, didn't want this woman to meet him. Naruto looked at her, then to her outstretched hand. Part of him wanted to be courteous if only not to look like an ass, while another wanted nothing to do with her. He struggled in finding what to do. The woman named Cinder kept inching closer and closer into his personal space.

No handshake was made.

Instead, a flow of power emerged outwards from Cinder's body involuntarily. Golden orange trails that felt different from Aura, yet contained the feel of Aura, seeped into Naruto's right hand.

Next thing he heard and felt were the screams of agony of a maiden whose soul felt as if torn in half. The feeling of warmth in this new, foreign energy was not there. Far from it. It felt distorted like melted glass, poisoned like a dying tree, and tortured like a caged animal. The maiden's shrill cry of pain echoed loudly. Images of a woman -Fall- crept up.

She was tortured. Bruises littered her body. She bled to no end. She didn't look like she took in any air. And yet that wasn't the last of it. Replacing Fall were many different maidens in different states of distress and level of harm. Few were displayed as dead. Even fewer were displayed perfectly fine. Most of them looked like they've seen battle and some misfortune. But no form of gore could disturb him more than a torn soul. The last maiden to hold over Fall's essence was broken and scarred. Forced to become a doll stuck inside a box to keep her alive. An unfortunate victim to the greed of others.

Despicable!

Cinder made swords of glass instinctively the moment Naruto's mood turned sour. She didn't know why, but her body told her to defend herself immediately.

Without warning, Naruto's right hand rocketed towards Cinder's face. The hit was successful, and it sent the woman out of the room. Unfortunately, the momentum of Naruto's punch carried him out of his hospital bed and onto the cold tile floor. He ripped off any wires stuck to him, and tore off his hospital gown, which left him only with his singed pants on. His opponent was still stunned, so he reached for Cinder's neck, pinned her to the wall high enough that she couldn't touch the ground, and tightened his grip ever so slowly. His forehead lit up his crown of flames as his forearms were coated very much the same way until it revealed Naruto's gauntlets.

" **What did you** ** _do_ to her?!** " He demanded. " **Answer me!** "

"Y-You already know...t-thack!"

Naruto's grip tightened even more. " **How _dare_ you...**" Naruto's orange flames flickered back and forth from that color into the hue of blood red flames. " **How dare you rip apart her soul!** " Naruto's right hand burned with the bright red flames swirling around like an uncontrollable tempest. He raised that hand, and aimed the attack right for Cinder's face. " **Unforgivable!** "

 _ **And that's it for now. Hope you enjoyed this one. Worked hard to get this out while I was busy with school. And whaddaya know, I publish this on my birthday. He's my gift to you guys for sticking around this far. Anyways, I'd like to think I got many hints out of this chapter. I also would like to think that they've pushed the plot a little forward. But if it didn't...well you win some, you lose some.**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don't care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	40. Memento Mori

**_Yay! RWBY Vol 4 is released!_**

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 36: Memento Mori

" **What did you** ** _do_** **to her?!** " He demanded. " **Answer me!** "

"Y-You already know...t-thack!"

Naruto's grip tightened even more. " **How** ** _dare_** **you...** " Naruto's orange flames flickered back and forth from that color into the hue of blood red flames. " **How dare you rip apart her soul!** " Naruto's right hand burned with the bright red flames swirling around like an uncontrollable tempest. He raised that hand, and aimed the attack right for Cinder's face. " **Unforgivable!** " He thrust the attack toward's Cinder's face.

Yet a split second before the attack made contact, a sharp sound pierced Naruto's ears. It made him flinch, and closed his eyes for a moment. Ultimately, it failed to alter his aim. However, when his vision was corrected, the person in his clutches was different. Instead of choking the damn woman, he instead choked someone worse.

Naruto's eyes snapped wide open, and trembled in shock. Gone was the fair-skinned woman in red. What replaced her was an ebony-skinned rogue in a white crop top with an olive undershirt and white pants underneath a pair of brown chaps. Her green hair overshadowed her eyes. But Naruto knew very well who he held.

The ambient glow of fire touched Emerald's face. Her expression was full of fear; eyes practically bulged out from their sockets as she gritted her teeth and attempted to yank Naruto's hand off of her neck. The flames in Naruto's right hand gave off no warmth, just the feeling of utter disintegration -the feeling of a slow, torturous death.

With how many visions Naruto experienced after the incident, he knew what was real and what wasn't. But it just didn't help in this situation. His memory of that day returned. His eyes locked on to Emerald's terrified face whilst his left hand's grip weakened and shook in fear. Emerald's similarity to Sage and the flame's ambient glow was enough to bring him back to that trauma he thought he moved on from.

 _"_ _On the count of three."_

 _"_ _No…"_

 _"_ _One."_

 _"_ _Stop it!"_

 _"_ _Two."_

 _'_ Cielo Fiamma! Help me save her! Let me save her! Please! Even if it's the last thing I do… Even if I die here… Please let me save her! _'_

 _"_ _Three."_

Naruto punched the wall. His grip returned to a deadly vice. "STOP MESSING WITH MY HEAD!" He roared. His eyes burned with newfound anger restrained because of self-control. His vision returned to normal, and Cinder remained in view. Flashes of the last who held Fall's essence battled against this woman seeped into his mind…two others were there too. A sudden punch to the gut cracked the wall. He threw Cinder to the floor violently. Cinder bounced, and Naruto took the chance to punch her face once more onto the floor. His right hand caught Cinder's neck, and he spun in place before he threw her out the window.

With Cinder out of the picture, Naruto stared at his…friends. His gaze gave a look of betrayal. "How could you…? Why?" He asked the criminal pair. "Why did you help?" He asked vaguely. "She was innocent! You targeted her for what? For 'Fall'?! For 'Fall's' essence?" His palms lit aflame.

Emerald tried to explain, but Mercury stopped her. "What are you gonna do about it?" Mercury asked in a bored tone. "Kill us?" His head tilted towards Emerald. "Could you really do that considering who she looks like?"

Naruto growled lowly. His soul roared for retaliation -for vengeance. For death. Damn the people in front of him friends or not! And with those feelings made clear inside his head, an ancient entity 'woke' up.

Naruto's surroundings faded to black; the scene in front of him played like a television show. He moved as the screen indicated, but he didn't will it. He wasn't in control. Something else took over. Naruto tried to get back, but he was chained by ethereal shackles and locked behind an invisible wall.

"Hey! Lemme outta here!" He shouted. He tried again. And again. And again with no response. He screamed for anyone to hear his pleas, but they were drowned out. Soon, Naruto had no energy to resist, and fell to slumber inside his head.

On the outside, the one who took over spoke in Naruto's own voice. "Fall… You ripped her soul apart for Fall! She was innocent! How could you do that to her?!"

"We don't have to tell you why we did that." Mercury said. "Just know that we did it."

"If you won't tell me that...then answer me this. What did you do to Fall?!" 'Naruto' asked. "What did you do to my wife's soul?!" The flames in his palms grew into miniature suns as he demanded to know the truth.

And that was the question that silenced everyone in hearing distance. Emerald and Mercury in particular held looks of utter shock.

"Dammit! Give me an answer!"

Down the hall, Weiss was held back by her father, who was overly cautious about the situation. He judged that Weiss's reaction of concern was a sign that the young Faunus wasn't of right mind. Again. Oh he knew Naruto caused the destruction. Glynda Goodwitch admitted to it, and even his daughter defended the feral Faunus. But what most troubled the elder Schnee was the fact that the color of his eyes were neither blue or orange like the sky during the daytime or sunset respectively.

These were blood red. The same hue as a Grimm's eyes.

"There is something amiss." Eis said to his daughter. "Do not approach just yet."

"Why, father?" Weiss asked as she attempted to get out of her father's tight hold of her right arm. "He's gone mental again, and I need to snap him out of it!"

Eis held onto his daughter tighter after he heard that. "Your participation led to your hospitalization in the first place! Whatever is happening to your friend is something far more complex than just a simple dose of insanity." Eis told honestly. "This is something regarding the supernatural."

"And how do you know that, father?" Weiss interrogated as she watched Naruto kept that angry and battle-ready stance. "How could you possibly understand that just by looking?"

"Not only by looking, but also by listening." Eis responded as he tapped his right ear with his right hand. "Your friend talked about the essence of 'Fall' was ripped out of another person. I would assume 'Fall' is the soul that resided in this unfortunate victim…or was actually the soul that was linked to the victim's body -a reincarnation in layman's terms. If I may be bold…I think your friend might be in the same situation -reincarnated; moreover, it manifested at such a critical moment…"

"And why do you think this 'Fall' is a reincarnation of sorts? What makes you think both of them are reincarnations?"

"Because he called 'Fall' his wife." Eis responded. "And last I checked, your friend is not married. Not supposed to be at least."

Back with 'Naruto,' the shocked looks both Mercury and Emerald gave were enough of an answer. "I see. You only knew you were after Fall's essence. Not why…" The balls of flame in his hands grew larger. "You didn't know…You didn't know anything of the consequences unlike that _woman_!" 'Naruto' stood up straight. His left hand grabbed the flames on his forehead, and dragged it over his eyes. The flames on 'Naruto's' right hand creeped up his arm, then all over his torso.

The lights flickered, the air-conditioning units turned on and off, electronic equipment failed, and many more malfunctioned. The Dust the powered them was ejected out to converge on 'Naruto's' position. The flames ate the Dust, and became tangible and cloth-like. Ancient characters seen on some Vacuan and many Mistrali text wrapped around his arms, chest, and back. His crown of flames wrapped his head like a hood as the edges of the long sleeves of this cloth-like flame were made.

He bolted into the room, and leaped in between Mercury and Emerald to exit through the broken window. As he landed he searched for that woman he threw out. She didn't get far because she heavily gasped for air down below while just above her, a visible dent on the wall was there; she must have been stuck for a bit.

'Naruto' landed softly on the sidewalk opposite of Cinder. Other pedestrians were startled by his sudden appearance as well as his 'transformation'. The final changes were set. Over his eyes was an orange visor barely resembling a fox's visage. Over his chest was a stark white breastplate with a pair of orange stripes that ran down symmetrically along with fauld, tassets, pauldrons and greaves that followed the design choice. The hooded orange coat made ankle-length coattails in the back, and another separate section in the front.

Murmurs around him weren't of any importance. The woman that attacked Fall's vessel and stole her away from said vessel was the one he needed to watch out for. He ran towards her without any hesitation. He caught her by the neck, and took her away from the area in a flash or orange light.

The pair reappeared on a small man-made island in the middle of the lake formed by the small falls around Beacon's cliffs. Cinder was released to gather air into her lungs. As she did so, she looked upon her attacker as well as the background behind him. She was surprised to see that she wasn't in the middle of Vale anymore. Even more troubling was the fact she was on the island that was the memorial of Vale's first and only King.

She struggled to stand, but managed to do it. She stared at 'Naruto' to examine his change. When compared to the statue behind him, 'Naruto' was an exact replica of the details sculpted on that very statue. She was aware he was the Hero. However, _this_ was something else entirely! She wasn't made aware of this fact!

The Hero launched a right straight at Cinder. The latter marginally evaded the attack. However, the gauntlet exploded with flames. The close proximity of the explosion staggered the woman, and allowed for an opening. A heavy body blow rang out like a gunshot. Another followed with a sickening crunch. A volley of body blows came from the blurred hands that struck like thunder. A swift right hook nearly sent Cinder's head off of her body, yet she stood as valiantly as she could be. A left blow to her ribs on the right came. The battering force lifted her off of the ground. Her gut exposed, he dug his right fist into it, and sent her off the island.

She bounced off the water's surface. A kick to her back sent her skywards. Cinder, unable to see because of the air that rushed at her eyes, never saw the fist that came to her ribs. A fist struck her sternum. Then her left shoulder blade was strained by a steel toe of a shoe. A myriad of attack struck her in different directions in a speed she never experienced first hand. The sheer number of strikes kept her airborne, and she didn't even know how fast he went nor how he achieved it. A fist rocketed to her chin, and she was sent further upwards -or at least she hoped it was. A heel struck the back of her head, then she felt herself spinning forward. Her legs were caught; she instead spun the other way. The rush of air and the lack of a pair of hands holding onto her legs were a sign that she was thrown. Whether she went up or down, she didn't know. She only figured it out when she felt an elbow stab her spine. The impact forced Cinder to gasp out air and open her eyes. A small spray of lake water splashed all over her.

She felt pain move all over her body; her Aura broke.

The Hero caught her only to throw her back to the island. Cinder barely registered that she was on solid ground. It was surprise to both when she moved out of the way when the Hero's heel came for her face. She managed to get up, and bring out glass swords. But the moment she swung to stop an incoming punch, the swords broke, and she received a direct punch to the face.

Pushed to the edge of the island, Cinder threw glass arrows at the Hero to keep him away. But instead of hitting them as it should have done, they dispersed, and were absorbed into his clothes.

"Dust-woven clothing." The Hero spoke. "I see that it's still an art. Thankfully, your manipulation of such a substance won't work as you'd hope." A small smile formed on his face. "But…I think you knew it was useless. You just needed something to try to stop me." The Hero dashed at her, but instead of a straightforward attack, he moved around her with a powerful backhand to the nape of her neck. The impact threw her face first to the floor.

Cinder glanced at the statue and at the Hero that came into view once more. He walked without a sound to his steps. He stood in front of her with glowing red eyes staring down at her. She hardly believed her eyes. The story of him being a hermit that gave the Maidens their power wasn't the only one he was a part of in the history of Remnant! With a slight struggle, she asked, "Y-You?! You're…King Vortex?!"

'Naruto' or King Vortex did not answer directly as he turned around to walk towards his statue. "Even if the morrow is barren of promises… Nothing shall forestall my return." He jumped atop his statue's head. "Those were the words I uttered when I died in front of my wives and children. I know not how long since then, but to think…to think that greed like this still existed." His right hand formed the swirling sphere of energy that was familiar to him. But unlike its Aura counterpart…this one was more volatile compared to it. Raw power flowed throughout its shape. A small breeze even formed right from the palm of that hand! "To think you'd dare take what is not yours!" The small breeze became a tempest that caused rippling waves to move outwards from the island.

Cinder lit her palms, and blasted a line of fire at the Hero. Yet nothing came. She tried again and again with no success. "Why? Why won't you come out?!" She asked.

"Because it returned to its rightful owner…" The Hero replied while his free hand clutched his breastplate. "Fall's power, the power I gave to her, the power that is rightfully mine is no longer your plaything to abuse." His right hand twitched right before he raised the sphere up above his head. "And now you'll face the true potential of the power you held in your hands for a passing moment of your life!" Gale force winds caused larger waves to appear, yet the sphere didn't appear to be any different in its shape. That is until a set of four blade-like extrusions of Aura -Chakra- expanded outwards to nearly encompass the whole of the lake. Waves were a thing of the past now that the whole of the lake slowly floated upwards into the storm.

Cinder stared paralyzed at the sight of chaos personified. She realized this storm was supposed to be aimed at her. She willed up enough courage to not look pathetic, and stared 'Naruto' with a harsh glare. And yet her bravery wasn't enough to overcome the fear of the effects of such a devastating attack could do to her. With the way the wind blew, no projectiles won't even reach him. Charging in was stupid. A sneak attack was useless. ' _Why did I earn such ire?!_ ' She shouted in her head. "Why?!"

"Memento mori!" The Hero shouted down at Cinder. "It means… 'Remember that you must die'. It's an ancient phrase uttered to bring all warriors to reality that not all battles will be victories, and all it takes is one fight to end that warrior's life." He explained. "You…you are no better thinking you are unbeatable with Fall's essence."

"And don't you think _your_ hubris won't kill you now?" Cinder fired back amidst the storm.

"Me? Oh I'm mellow from my millennia of experience. I try not to let it get to my head. That and I died already too." He replied cheekily. "But you? Oh you need a lesson in humility!" He swung his arm back in preparation of throwing the gargantuan attack.

Cinder stepped back, and mentally called for her Master's help. She knew that Aura couldn't protect her from a storm this intense. She'd be shredded into ribbons before she could try to defend herself. When she felt the familiar pull of distorted space, she prepared herself to be taken away. But in the last few seconds before she was out of the danger zone, she watched as the Hero significantly shrunk the size of the blades to the size of a demon wind shuriken, but retained the intensity of the winds. He threw it at her just before she felt herself lose touch with her surroundings until her back met hard rock. The Hero's attack came along with her with a terrible screech as it passed over her fallen self. Quickly, she stood up to watch where it went.

It flew across the canyon like an unguided missile. It kept flying away until the shine it gave off was the only way to discern its position. It struck a cliff dead on. Within seconds, the projectile expanded and exploded into an enormous sphere of flames fanned by gale-force winds that tore down anything in its way. Heck, the shockwave was enough to make her fly and fall backwards from the invisible wall of air that reached her. And when all was calm, the cliff the projectile struck and the surrounding area for hundreds of miles was torched and atomized. Cinder gulped at the fact her theory of what the attack could do was confirmed to be that devastating.

" **Ah…I see you've gone and woken up the Hero, Cinder.** "

Cinder turned around, and bowed. "Master! Forgive me for bringing ruin at your doorstep!"

" **I told you not to approach him at this critical stage of his recovery. But you ignored my warnings!** "

Cinder bowed lower. "I was merely-"

" **You** ** _awakened_** **him momentarily! You made him use all of his energy, and look at what's happened. He took what was his in an instant!** "

"But it was only half! If we can get the other-"

" **You fail to understand the true strength of any of the Maiden's powers.** "

"Then please explain!" Cinder begged.

" **The Maidens combined were about twenty percent of the Hero's power! Seventy five are the Dust that's been circulated all over the planet. The remaining five percent was left to make him still viable as a threat.** " The Master explained. " **What** ** _you_** **fail to understand is had the Maidens properly learned to use their powers, their combined twenty percent is total to half of my total strength! The problem was that verbal seals were much more ineffective than written seals with a proper matrix; they knew how to use the power he gave. But they didn't know how to use it to its full potential. They only know how to manipulate the energy, not channel its full force. It made Maidens to be comparable only to five percent of my strength! So the Maiden you fought was utterly weak; her potential a far cry of what it's meant to be. In fact- all Maidens are pathetically weak! And they're boasted to be forces of nature…** "

"You mean the Maiden's power is too diluted or unrefined to be a threat to you?"

" **Not until it's in the right hands, which you saw first hand.** " The Master pointed at the destruction behind Cinder. " **That is what about three percent of his power appears. And now you have witnessed a** ** _true_** **force of nature.** "

"What do you think will happen next?" Cinder asked.

" **The Hero will fall to slumber once more having exhausted his strength due to rage. His meager persona will take root once more having not known, or barely registering what transpired.** " The Master looked at Cinder with disappointment. " **We've lost the Fall Maiden's powers. We might as well look for the others to compensate for the loss.** "

"I apologize for my blunder."

" **You're not any more terrible than our traitor.** "

Cinder looked up. "Traitor?"

" **You need not concern yourself. Her efforts are futile. It may be easier for her to do what she needs to do, but in the end, nothing will be achieved.** " A pulse of power emanated from the Master. " **I'll make sure of it.** "

* * *

Back in Vale, the Hero stood in front of his statue commemorated to him. "To our lord, the one and true King of Vale." He muttered the writing at the base of the statue. He turned around to admire the cityscape. "Vale…" He said with awe. "Vale came a long way from the small cobblestone houses and buildings with one giant castle governing the whole." He looked down at the lake's surface, where his face was reflected with much clarity. "I've…come a long way." He took a deep breath, and looked up to the sky. "Vale has no need of me. Remnant has no need of me. Not yet." His left hand grabbed a hold of his visor. "You shall remain here, new me. This is your life to live. Unfortunate that I've interfered once more. I apologize. Impressionable memories…are an unavoidable" He pulled the visor off, and the object dispersed into embers. "But know this… When in danger, let loose the beast of war." He spoke softly. "I shall be there at a moment's notice to take the punishment and deal it full force." He clutched his breastplate, and that too disintegrated into embers.

He disappeared from the monument to reappear into the hospital. The surprise appearance shocked a pair of Schnees and a pair of 'friends'. He also surprised Yang, Ruby, and Pyrrha, who arrived a minute ago. His eyes were glazed; body lacked any tension; he was out of it by the way his torso swayed back and forth.

Weiss was quick to catch Naruto the moment he tipped over a bit too far. He fell into her arms, and all of his weight crashed on top of her. Being the short young woman she was, it took a little bit of effort to hold him up. Thankfully, she didn't fall to the floor with him. She dragged him to his bed with help from her father. When he was laid flat, Weiss stepped back, and kept silent in frustration. She wanted to know what was different with Naruto. She wanted to know why this happened to him.

Meanwhile, Yang rushed to his side, and held onto his left hand. Ruby kept her distance to instead look around the scene. Pyrrha did too. The pair of redheads understood that something triggered Naruto's anger.

"Is he okay?"

Weiss, Yang, Ruby, and Pyrrha looked to Emerald, the one who asked the question. "…He's fine." The Heiress responded. She walked with heavy steps towards Emerald. "Now a question from me. Who is 'Fall'?" Emerald glanced towards Naruto's direction, but was forced to look at Weiss. "I answered your question. Answer mine." Weiss insisted.

"…"

Weiss looked at Mercury. "Can you answer?"

"She didn't know." Mercury told. "She just followed orders. Same as I did." He sat straight on his chair. "We don't know anything. Whoever 'Fall' is- "

Eis Schnee stepped up. "You can answer that later." The elder Schnee said. A chorus of footsteps alerted the man to the door, where a Vale detective and a pair of Atlesian soldiers appeared. He looked to the soldiers. "I request an audience with the General. There's been an attack on this young man. An assassination attempt. Please relay the message." The soldiers saluted the man, and promptly left. "Detective. I do apologize if I'm intruding on your work. The General has asked that any conflict related to the attack on Beacon be relayed to him. And while this may seem like a simple assault, there's something far worse in play."

"You think someone was after his head?" The detective asked. "What makes you say that?"

"An assassination attempt?" Yang asked lowly.

"It was an assassination attempt because the attacker held weapons in her hands. He fought that attacker, and threw her out the window." Eis explained his point of view about the situation with the intent of leaving key details out. "While the attacker at Beacon may have been a lone wolf, it was highly improbable that he prepared this all on his own. There must be an accomplice. This accomplice might be this attacker." He stroked his mustache. "Thankfully, the young man has thwarted the threat all on his own; however, the effort was enough to keep him down again."

"What did this attacker look like?"

Weiss answered immediately. "Female. Black, wavy hair that ran along her back. Fiery orange eyes. Red dress with Dust woven into it. The residue is just outside the door."

The detective wrote the description as quickly as possible on a notepad. When done, he asked, "A name?"

"Cinder Fall." Emerald answered, shocking Mercury with the answer.

The detective thought about the situation. "Very well. I'll report this to the Council. Hopefully Atlas's forces can figure out this related incident. Meanwhile..." The man took out a Scroll. "I'll request guards for this area."

"There'll be no need for that." Eis told to the detective. "I'm sure the people in this room are enough. They are trainee Huntsmen and Huntresses. A low level threat is enough for them to defeat."

The detective nodded in understanding. "But a question...do you know if the unnatural storm up north by the lake was related to this?"

Eis thought about his answer. "I'm afraid I can't tell. It may be an alarming distraction, or an unrelated incident that coincidentally happened about the same time. There's just too many unknowns to say." The detective left without a word. When the man was confident that none were within earshot, he looked to the pair of 'friends'. "I'll give you two the benefit of the doubt that both of you weren't here to send the young man to death. Now...please tell us what you know."

Weiss interrupted. "Wait. Father, was it wise of you to partially lie about the events?"

"They wouldn't understand even if we explained it. And as far as I know, my thoughts on the matter are pure speculation." The elder Schnee shrugged his shoulders, and turned to the pair again. "So where was I...?

Mercury glanced over to Emerald. He gave her a look of worry. But he knew better than to show weakness. He had to get everyone to focus on him like he did to Naruto. He needed Emerald out of the spotlight. "I have a condition." Mercury said with a no-nonsense tone. "Follow it, and I'll say all I know."

Weiss drew her blade because she was annoyed at the tone he gave. She pointed it at Mercury's neck. "You don't have a say in the matter."

Mercury stood up. "Actually...I do." He stared down the Heiress with his cloudy gray eyes. "I have the information. You don't." Mercury felt the tip of the Heiress's blade push onto the surface of his neck. "Try it." He goaded with a mischievous smile. "Try and call my bluff." He raised his eyebrows, and gave a smug smirk; his signature technique to piss off anyone that he confronted. A golden blur swung a fist just to the right of Mercury. The fist struck the wall, and caused a spider-web effect. Mercury glanced at the one that 'attacked' him. "That supposed to scare me?"

Yang's burning red eyes locked onto Mercury's. "You two are his friends. Why did you lead an attacker to him?!"

"I'm not answering anything, until you agree to my condition." Mercury insisted, and stood by his position.

Emerald looked at him like he grew a second head. She gave off the expression that asked, 'What are you doing?'. But he ignored her with the intent on having his wish acknowledged.

"We can always ask her." Ruby, standing right beside Naruto's unconscious body, pointed at Emerald. "But I have a feeling you don't want her to say anything."

"Because she's not a part of this." Mercury responded with an irritated tone. "She was here under the pretense that she was just going to visit Naruto. She didn't know she led an attacker here."

Ruby narrowed her eyes. She started to speak, but Pyrrha took her place. "And yet she _knew_ the woman's name."

"Because she introduced herself to her?" Mercury's fingertips touched together at the sides of his skull. His hands gestured the mind-blown visual as he mocked them with the simple phrase, "Just common sense."

"No need to be condescending." Weiss put the attention to herself. She pushed the tip of Myrtenaster harder on Mercury's neck.

Mercury scoffed. "This coming from the Heiress with a major stick up her butt?"

"Focus!" Yang ordered.

"Wassat?" Mercury mocked feigning the idea that he didn't hear Yang. He heard her gauntlets cocked like a shotgun. "What are you gonna do? Blast my kneecaps off?"

Yang popped her knuckles. "If that's what it takes."

"There'll be no need of that." Eis Schnee interrupted while pointing to the door. "We'll hear your condition during the talk with the General." The same pair of soldiers arrived with a message that a conference with Ironwood was accepted, and an airship was being prepared for the trip to Beacon.

* * *

Naruto knew the bed felt different; it was his own bed in Beacon. He woke up to the scent of vanilla entering his nostrils and the tickling sensation of hair gingerly sliding on his cheeks and nose. There was a rhythmic hum that didn't come from him. A soothing purr tingled his cat ears jovially, and made them twitch rapidly. The warmth was something else to indulge on as well. It contrasted the crisp morning air that came from his open window. That warmth came closer to him that his cheek slowly met the source. It was a familiar warmth -one that he didn't want to disappear for his soul ached with no explanation. An image of a woman was blurred, but he just felt like he knew her. The fact he forgot her earned an escaped tear. But he remained strong. His right hand wrapped around his fellow occupant of the bed because he was confident she wouldn't do a thing against it. How he knew it was a her? Well he slept on the same bed as her before. He held her close with the intent of savoring her warmth, her scent, her smooth skin on his, and the feeling of her hair grazing his cheeks.

He wanted her to stay. He wanted her to rid him of this ache that he couldn't explain. A hazy memory was the cause of this, and he detested it so. He wanted to remember, and yet, he heard words that encouraged the opposite. ' _I don't want to let go..._ ' He whimpered. The blurred woman was accompanied by seven other women, each blurred with nothing recognizable as well. The peaceful memories he felt by looking at these eight...a faded image.

 _"Live your life..."_ He heard. _"Don't dwell on an...insignificant past."_

 _'_... _Let me keep it._ ' Naruto said to the voice. ' _No matter what ache I may feel. Let me keep_ _it._ _I will cope. I will...manage. I will move on. Just allow me to remember them._ '

The voice never answered, and seemed to take away those hazy memories. The eight indescribable women and his memories of them were sent into the void. Gone without a struggle unlike before. Naruto clutched his bedside partner closer to ease his pain while his eyes leaked tears.

A thumb wiped those tears off. "What's the matter, Firecracker?" Yang, his bedside partner asked in a whisper only he could hear. "Why the waterworks?"

Naruto just held her tighter, and set his chin on the crook of Yang's neck, where his face and hair mingled with Yang's. He hid there in silence while his firm hold showed his desperation -his need to be consoled. He felt Yang's arms wrap around him. That was enough for him to stop his whimpers, but not his tears. He felt Yang's gentle nuzzle on his cheeks, and began to smile a little.

"I'm right here." Yang said as she comforted him. "I'm right here..."

* * *

" **You'll keep him in the dark?** "

"Yes."

" **He is a part of you, you realize.** "

"I do."

" **When? When will you resurface? What of us?** "

"We'll return...when he's giving it his all for a fight he might never come back from."

* * *

 _ **And that's it for this one. How was this one? Bit on the short side...but what can you do? Hopefully this is a decent representation for the moment Naruto reawakens to his true self. Nothing much else to say other than next chapter will be dialogue galore. Maybe. Other than that, Vol 4 is gonna be great.**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don't care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	41. Sanctuary

_**Okay. Needed author's note. First of all. I'm not dead. Hooray! Second of all, other factors came into my life. One of which was a video game, the other family. The game took some of my hours making this chapter for the simple fact my passion and competitiveness for it got reignited. The family part is me getting berated for not making decent life choices by admittedly wasting hours on said game, and thus making me feel some shame when it came to my usual methods of doing things I like to do to pass the time - I had to tone it (writing fanfiction, playing games, goofing off) down.**_

 _ **But hey, I finally got this updated, so I guess all I can say is that I'll try my best to update consistently while trying to not be a total loser.**_

 _ **Also word of warning this chapter contains the events that happened in between the scenes of the group at the hospital meeting Ironwood and Ozpin and the timeskip to Naruto's awakening at the end. So if you're lost as to why Naruto isn't awake in this, reread the previous chapter.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 37: Sanctuary

The group at Naruto's hospital room left for Beacon. Naruto was brought along; his doctor deemed him to be healthy enough to leave; Naruto only needed a proper rest from the encounter. On the Bullhead, Yang and Weiss sat next to Naruto, who laid on his gurney. The others were on the other side of the Bullhead silently watching.

Emerald in particular watched with eyes filled with regret. Her shoulders tried to fuse together along with her head, attempted to collapse into her chest. She knew what she did was wrong, saving Cinder from that. Even worse…she invoked that memory. She had a feeling that was what got Naruto angry the most -the betrayal, the idea of using that memory and her likeness to Sage. She let out a deep breath of frustration. But then she heard a tap. Then another. It took a while, but she realized it was Mercury beside her trying to talk to her.

" _You thinking about what you did?_ " He tapped in code.

" _Yeah_." She tapped back.

" _Don't think it was all your fault. Part of it was mine too. We helped Cinder beat the Fall Maiden._ "

Emerald hesitated in answering, but ultimately told the truth. Mercury needed to know. " _It's not that. I gave him the illusion of his childhood trauma._ "

A fist slammed on the seat with a loud clang. Emerald instantly knew what that translated.

"Sorry. My wrist was acting up." Mercury lied.

Ruby leaned over to stare at Mercury. "So you hit it where it hurts?"

Mercury nodded with a shrug of his shoulders. "You gain some pain tolerance from it. Emphasis on _some_." He waved his left hand to show that what he did still hurt somewhat.

Anyways, Mercury kept on communicating with Emerald. " _Seriously?! Low blow._ "

" _You have no idea_." Emerald agreed, but for a more personal reason.

" _But…let's be honest here._ " Mercury started off. " _Who we talked to_ wasn't _Naruto. At least not the one we knew personally._ "

" _Yep._ "

" _Could he…?_ "

" _Could he be telling the truth?_ " Emerald finished for Mercury.

" _I hope not._ " Mercury replied. " _Fuck. That would just screw my mind in eight different ways._ "

" _Is it so hard to believe? The Maidens are real_." Emerald reasoned.

" _I can accept some things to be truth. But to think that our best friend is the Hero is a bit of a stretch for me._ "

"... _Same here_." Emerald agreed hesitantly. " _But I can't help but shake the feeling that what he said about Fall being his…_ "

Mercury closed his eyes, and remembered what Naruto said earlier. No doubt that Emerald was shaken up by that. He opened his eyes, and gave a quick glance over to his partner in crime; she was as devastated as she could possibly express. " _Say no more._ " He said while looking down on the floor of the Bullhead. " _I'm well aware of what you're thinking and feeling right now._ " He combed his hair back, and played off what he said as something that didn't bother him.

Emerald crossed her arms, and tapped with her feet. " _What do you know?_ "

Mercury turned his head away from Emerald. His energetic tapping became dull and slow. " _That you want nothing more than to be by his side right now._ "

Emerald gave Mercury a look that he didn't see. " _What exactly are you trying to accomplish by making a deal?_ "

" _I give info in exchange for your safety._ "

Emerald never showed it on her face, but shock was there. It finally clicked to her why Mercury wanted to put himself on the spot as the major threat or most important asset. He wanted her out of the way so that he could hold the responsibility. Emerald looked down at Mercury's left hand, just inches away from hers. She firmly grasped it, and never let go.

With her left hand, she tapped. " _Thank you for the thought, but we're doing this together. For our sake and for his._ " Upon the emphasis of 'together,' Emerald's grip on Mercury's hand tightened; not to assure Mercury, but for herself that she was safe. In an instant, the intertwined hands lit up with bright green and murky purple. The sight shocked both the thief and the butcher.

Pyrrha, who sat next to Ruby, saw her side pouch glow the exact colors. "Ruby." She called to the young leader of Team RWBY.

Ruby looked at what Pyrrha pointed at, and was shocked to see the glow. She opened the pouch to see what glowed. "Eh? The rings…" The mere mention of rings brought forth the attention of Ruby's partner and sister. "W-Why are they glowing?" She asked.

Yang stood up, and went to Ruby to closely inspect the rings. Yang asked for permission to hold the rings. The younger sister gave it to her without question. "Naruto's chosen Guardians for these rings are nearby." She said. She turned to her right, and faced the questionable pair. She walked in front of them, and presented the rings that glowed brighter the closer they were to the owners. "…" Yang was a blank slate; no emotions were readily seen on her expressions alone. She gave the pair their respective rings; Cloud for Mercury, Lightning for Emerald. The pair caught their respective ring, and wondered what this was. "Naruto blessed you two with a piece of his Semblance."

Emerald looked at Yang. "Us? Blessed with his _Semblance_?"

"I know. Stupid right?" Yang snarked. The tone she gave obviously irked the green-haired female. "No. I'm serious. He gave _you two_ his blessing, his trust, his _power_." She snarled. "Why he did that-"

"The young man did it because he trusted them." Eis Schnee spoke out of turn. Yet despite the act, he was completely composed and regal all the way. He was cool as ice. "There's a reason why they're named Guardians. Your bestower trusted those he appointed to their roles. Such was the custom. I've heard of the possibility to erase the blessing, and even though he clearly felt betrayal for what you two did to him in the hospital, he still trusts you two." The man adjusted his necktie. "I suggest you two to choose you path now; continue as vagabonds, or pursue the life of a warrior -as your friend's Guardians." The man shook his head. "But with the way the conversation in the hospital went, I'm sure I can predict what you, young man, will choose. The lass is in the same boat so to speak…unless my knowledge of Morse code is rusty."

Mercury growled. "What we choose to do with our lives is none of your business."

A golden fist struck the hull of the Bullhead. It was Yang's, which was perfectly aimed in between Mercury and Emerald's heads. "On the contrary, it is our business, buddy." The flames on Yang's left fist died down to show a ring similar in design to the ones given tot he criminal pair. Yang stared at Mercury with burning red eyes. "You two are Guardians, same as my sister Rubes, my teammate Weiss, and I." She grabbed his collar. "And I'll be pissed off if you two go behind your best friend's back after he gave his trust to you two!"

The group arrived at one of Beacon's landing pads. Yang wordlessly left with Naruto on her back while she headed for his room. Weiss followed the pair of blonds after her request to join them was accepted. Ruby and Pyrrha were curious about the meeting, but was prevented from doing so by the Atlesian escorts. The pair of redheads frowned on the order, but did not ignore it. They went back to their rooms. Eis Schnee, Mercury, and Emerald headed for Beacon tower's uppermost floor.

* * *

What was said in the Bullhead was not forgotten. Both Emerald and Mercury were chosen out of trust -trust of family. But they betrayed that trust. Mercury in particular didn't know what to do. He had two paths to choose: redemption or sacrifice. Emerald had no choice; he'd make sure of it that his partner chose redemption. She needed it the most compared to him. They entered the elevator inside Beacon tower. The Atlesian escorts stayed on the bottom floor as safeguards for those who chose to interfere with the upcoming meeting. As they ascended, He fiddled with the ring given to him. "Cloud…"

"Ah. The flame that specializes in propagation." Eis Schnee hummed. "Makes sense that is your attribute. You are quite the distant one."

Emerald looked at hers. "Lightning."

"Protective…" Eis mumbled out before he sighed. "I can't see why that attribute accepted you when you brought chaos to him."

"Hey! Low blow." Mercury growled out.

"Apologies. But I do find it odd." The man never explained further, and kept silent about what he meant.

Emerald closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. She kept a hand close to her heart. ' _Protective? Hardly…_ ' Sure she wanted Naruto to be safe, but she was never the type to shield him from troubles and misfortune.

 _"I want to stay by him. He's my friend. And as his friend, I make it my job to never abandon him!" Said a child. "That also means keeping him safe through the bad times!"_

Mercury glared at the Schnee. "How do you know all this?" The question broke Emerald out of her thoughts.

"I may not be a Guardian, but my best friend was the bestower of the flames." Eis responded vaguely. When the young Cloud Guardian failed to understand, he said, "Your friend's father, the Secondo Fiamma, told me the inner workings of his Semblance."

"You were friends with the leader of the White Fang?" Both Mercury and Emerald asked in surprise.

"Yes. But that is a story for another time." The elevator dinged to alert the three to their designated destination. The elevator doors opened to show both Headmasters of Beacon and Atlas were studying the reports conducted by the Media.

It was late at night. The incident at the hospital and at the lake happened hours ago. The media connected the two, and called it the 'Second Coming of the King' as their headline. Problem was that their report was incomplete due to the fact none of the Vale police were answering questions over the crime scene, and no one knew who was behind the outfit that exactly resembled the late King Vortex's robe and armor.

Some were left to believe that the mysterious individual was the patient the resided in the room. They weren't wrong, but they merely speculated about it.

Only five people saw the before and after: Cinder, Emerald, himself, Weiss and Eis Schnee.

With how Cinder actively adjusted plans to involve Naruto as a unwilling participant in the chaos, there just had to be something off with his friend. He overheard the words "The Hero" being thrown around many times. He knew who was mentioned. Seeing as the Maidens were a thing…Mercury had a feeling the Hero wasn't just a story. He himself was a fan of The Hero, and knew things about it. For example, the Hero's story originated in the oases of Vacuo among the tribes of the Sand, Wind, and many more. However, Mistral, in the continent of Anima, was the Kingdom that embellished and expanded on the Hero's legend. It's where the most famous book regarding the Hero, Tome of Beginnings, came from; however, the fact that is was mostly spread by word of mouth due to the fact that the book itself was strictly meant for descendants of the author that wrote it in the first place.

But that wasn't important at this moment.

Mercury stared down the towering General in front of him. He was in Ozpin's office, where the Headmasters of both Beacon and Atlas were when Eis Schnee made the call. The man didn't scare him. Not at all. He lost any feeling of fear after he got his legs. If anything, the General was a baby that was proud of his toys, and showed them off to make others jealous. The man wasn't a threat to his safety.

But aside from him, Ozpin, Ironwood, Emerald and Eis… Qrow, the infamous Scythe wielder that cleaved Mistral's forests and caves of Grimm and bandits, was there leaning behind one of the pillars.

Ozpin was the first to speak. "Ah. Eis. It's been a long time."

Eis nodded. "Yes. But I suggest we go to the root of the problem before we reminisce on bygone days." He motioned to the pair behind him.

Mercury and Emerald stepped forward.

Qrow did the same. "…You two." He pointed a finger towards them. "…I've seen you before."

Before Mercury could snark, Emerald spoke. "Yes. We were there. We attacked the Fall Maiden."

* * *

Yang plopped Naruto down on his bed. She straightened him out, and placed his hands on his stomach. But then she realized she made him look like a dead man. She remedied that by taking one of Naruto's spare pillows, and made him hug it. She watched as Naruto instantly nuzzled into the softness of his pillow while he purred lightly. She also watch him curl into a fetal position as he comfortably held the pillow in his arms.

Yang crouched as she watched Naruto purring as he slept. "Aww…he wasn't this cuddly when we slept together."

Weiss, who came along with Yang, and for the most part was silent during the whole trip to Naruto's room…gave a shriek of "What?!" And as typical as Weiss could get, she jumped into conclusions, "You fiend! How could you two do that?!"

Yang blinked rapidly. She slowly turned her head towards Weiss with an absolutely puzzled look. "I don't get it." She said. "Why the overreaction?"

"You two copulated!" Weiss hissed.

Yang, still not getting where Weiss was coming from said, "Nuh-uh. I get zilch of what you're trying to say." She snapped her fingers a couple of times. "C'mon. Say it right. I think your dictionary-sized brain can come up with a better and simpler way of phrasing what you're trying to say."

"You said you two 'slept together'!" Weiss explained it with the use of Yang's own words.

Yang immediately understood. Her eyebrows waggled suggestively. She grinned from ear to ear as she hooked her left arm over Weiss's neck. He free hand poked Weiss on the cheek. "Oh! That's what you meant. My, my, Weiss. I didn't know your head could go into the gutter! I was saying it innocently when your head twisted it." She cooed while she pulled Weiss closer to herself. "You _can_ learn to be normal!"

Weiss attempted to shove Yang away from her. "Making innuendos is something that's not supposed to be normal!" The two playfully bickered for minutes; Yang insisted that Weiss had an immature mind whereas Weiss defended herself as she normally did.

Amidst their commotion, Naruto stirred. First a small shiver; insignificant. Then, a massive jolt over his body that shook the bed; important. Naruto convulsed from head to toe. The only thing that kept him on the bed were his hands, tightly clutching the bed. Sweat dripped from his temples, his arms, and his chest. Not even half a minute later, steam formed out of his drops of sweat. The Faunus struggled to breathe, and yet at the same time was able to scream out in pain.

Weiss bolted to his side. Yang was too confused to comprehend what was going on. Weiss placed a hand on Naruto's scorching hot forehead. She remedied that by using the Rain flame to counter the heat. One hand was on his forehead while the other was just by his collarbones. The former tried her best to calm him down, while the latter ran on autopilot, and held Naruto's legs on the bed.

But nothing seemed to calm down the Faunus.

"What's going on?!" Yang asked Weiss.

"I have no idea!"

Their question was answered in the most unconventional way possible. Wisps of light, of varying colors, emerged out of his chest. But the most important factor was these were not just strands of light. These held power. Arcane and ancient power. The same kind of feeling of power that even the tiniest amount of Dust can muster. And this power condensed at a certain point in space. It collected itself in the space directly above Naruto's chest. It kept converging, and transmuted into something else -solid. Like stardust that littered the night sky, the lights illuminated the dimly lit room. They became constellations, each point of light connected to another until right before the girls' eyes, a large and jagged crystalline shape emerged.

Dust. It just had to be.

Weiss's earlier thought of the lights before it became a crystal became true. She concluded it was Dust because she was familiar with the latent power hidden behind Dust. This was no different; moreover, it was the rarest type of Dust: Polychromatic.

Polychromatic dust was a kaleidoscope of colors that pulsed all over its structure. One section never held a single color for too long, and as such, Polychromatic Dust was its name. But not only was this the only reason for its name. An element or affinity of Dust is determined by its color. As such, Polychromatic Dust is also rare for its renowned instability in maintaining a certain element or affinity. But…with the use of Aura, the Dust is inclined to follow through with the color of a person's Aura.

Weiss caught the Dust, but not without some help from Yang. The two firmly held the Dust crystal that looked like an explosion solidified. The jagged extrusions of the Dust made it resemble a porcupine if it had ginormous quills that liked to stand on end.

"Thanks for the help, Yang."

"No prob." Yang said as she lifted the fairly heavy crystal off of Weiss's hands, and lowered it to the floor.

The two were left in silence. They had to wonder what was going on. They wondered why did this revolve around Naruto. They wondered what was happening to him. But the pair knew better than to find an easy answer from this.

Weiss returned to Naruto's side, and did her best to calm him down, and get him back to a normal state of rest.

Yang noticed how gentle Weiss was in terms of comforting Naruto. Weiss may not see it, but Yang clearly did. She saw the soft, caring expression Weiss had on her face. She saw how smooth her hand glided on Naruto's forehead. She heard Naruto's labored breaths weaken, and heard Weiss hum, furthering Naruto's betterment. If she was none the wiser and if events up to now in terms of her interactions with Naruto played out differently, she would have thought the two were a couple, and that she intruded on their moment.

But that wasn't the case. And as much as Yang would like to stop it, Weiss was infinitely better at comforting despite the usual ice princess persona displayed.

"You're really worrying for him, don't you?" Still focused on Naruto, Weiss answered yes. Yang let out a puff of air that faintly resembled a sigh; Weiss wasn't even focused on her. Weiss was focused on Naruto. Yang just shrugged her shoulders. Admittedly, Naruto and his wellbeing was more important than a conversation even if the topic was about him. "Time's changed you, and he helped a lot…"

"You didn't see what I saw that day." Weiss said with the usual degree of seriousness in her tone. "Naruto was a beast. Literally, his Aura took the form of a fox. And the attacks he threw at me were like force of nature." Weiss shivered at the memories of that dreadful night. "And for some reason…his rage…his raw emotions…they were tearing him apart." She closed her eyes while she kept her composure. After she managed to set aside those fears, she stared at Yang. She stood up. "I care because _this_ isn't right!" She pointed to Naruto. "Naruto shouldn't be like this! He shouldn't be in pain. He shouldn't be confused. His own mind and soul shouldn't be harming him!" Each sentence raised in decibels. Each sentence caused Weiss to tense. Each sentence brought her closer to breaking. "And I'm here…not understanding why he's in pain. I'm here wondering why I can't stop these things from happening!" She stepped forward. "I understood what you meant when you said I worried for him. I'm not an idiot."

"Weiss…I didn't mean to offend." Yang was at a loss for words. She wasn't aware that this was how Weiss felt.

"I know you didn't. You aimed for humor. But like you said, there's a time and a place for everything when it comes to jokes." Weiss glared. "This isn't one of them." Clenched fists signaled restrained anger. "So you may misunderstand my feelings all you want, but I'm telling you outright that I'm doing these things because I care for him as a friend!"

After that, neither girl looked at the other in the eyes. Too awkward to do so after that outburst. For Weiss, it was because she lashed out at a fellow teammate again. For Yang, it was because she made light of the situation.

All the while, the Polychromatic Dust shimmered under the moon's rays like a ground-deployed disco ball. Its reflective colors graced both girls' bodies much like light bouncing off the water's surface.

Yang stepped closer to the Dust. She went down to her knees, and inspected the thing in hopes that it did something. A touch here or there failed to give off any reaction. Yang tried to pry off a spike from the whole of the Dust, but it wouldn't budge. She tried to pull it many times.

"It's impossible to break it with your hands alone. You need high-powered mining equipment to cut it down to size unlike most Dust where a pickaxe is enough to shatter it into manageable sizes." Weiss explained as she too inspected the Dust. Much like Yang, she tried to get a reaction from it without specifically activating it.

"Do you know what this is?"

"Dust." Weiss answered. "The real question is why it came out of Naruto." She continued to fiddle with it, but found nothing of importance. Weiss glared at the thing. Eventually, she sighed, and regained an air of calm around her. She decided there was no point in getting angry. "Might as well activate it."

"I'm with you there." Yang agreed. "Nothing is happening." She paused for a moment. "Pour our Auras into this thing at the same time?" She asked.

Weiss nodded. "On my count of three." Both girls placed their palm on the crystal, and both closed their eyes to maintain a certain level of focus while they prepared to channel their Aura into the crystal. Silent breaths were taken. "Three!"

The pair pushed the physical manifestation of their own respective souls into the crystal. The Dust shined brighter and brighter as it accepted the illuminating souls that entered it. The colors of the rainbow graced the walls, the ceiling, the desk, the bed, everything in the room with its elegant gleam.

* * *

 ** _}{^% &$#%%R[]=- #%$^:!_**

 _"My past haunts me yet again with failure…" Eyes stared at the broken moon that bled red. The skies were clear of clouds. Not a single thing blotted the view of the crimson moon._

 _"Don't…worry. There is only…one left."_

 _The moon blurred. "Yeah…Her." The sight moved to the left. The owner of these eyes was laid flat on the ground. "Thank you for the help…Regis." The addressed man coughed as he too laid flat face-first._

 _"…The pleasure is…mine -ack! Mas…ter."_

 _"Have you said your farewell to your son?"_

 _"Aye…he bears the jewel…as well. I hope…you aren't disappointed by the sudden…appointment."_

 _A shake of the head. "No…I see his potential. He is worthy of…the necklace. Much like your father, your grandfather, your ancestors, your line are worthy of it. Your fires burn brightly…" A chuckle was released. "Ah…the phrase…quite nostalgic."_

 _"Indeed." Regis let out a sigh. "How did your wives and heirs take…your sacrificial move, Master?"_

 _"Hmph…I failed to say it." The sight moved towards the owner's torso, littered with weapons of pure energy that stabbed into him. "I gave them a declaration…instead."_

 _"May I ask?"_

 _"_ Even if the morrow is barren of promises…nothing shall forestall my return _."_

 ** _^)()* &#=+&*}{:"?!_**

 _"What should I name it, father?" Asked a boy in green. He held a relatively thick book in his arms, and never eased up on his grip. A cherished gift._

 _"Whatever you want." The father said. "I know you'll make a fine story."_

 ** _?::{:{"* &(^%$!_**

 _The gentle tune from a piano set the change in atmosphere. Its harmonious sound reverberated outwards in the room of someone's home. The sunset filtered in from the windows, and the autumn breeze was crisp. Wind chimes jingled, and added to the song played by the pianist. Calloused and experienced hands of a man glided over the keys without any flaw; it was quite a contrast._

 _Four boys watched intently at the pianist with wonder and glee on their faces. They were entranced by his music. The four almost wanted to sleep to the tune. But before that ever happened, the song stopped._

 _But the begging began. The children nagged the pianist to play again and again and again for them. Just behind the four children were four women that exuded a specific aura from each. One was serene and calm, another lively and joyous, the third was beaming and passionate, and the last one was gentle and graceful._

 ** _^%# &$*(^:"?:"!_**

 _The woman from the previous vision was in a field controlling the air around her. The wind was chilly, yet blunt as if a wall struck what it touched. The tall blades of grass were pushed flat by the walls of wind that swirled. Then, without warning, the winds collided against each other, rotating in different directions with different speeds. The winds tried to tear through themselves. The grass was cleaved left and right; the ground was carved; the trees were shredded into a stump._

 _A whistle and applause was given to the woman. "I'm impressed."_

 _"As you should be, teacher." The woman beamed him a smile._

 _"Aki…you know I'm only doing this to make you and your sisters safe."_

 _"I know, Naruto." The woman turned around with her arms behind her back. "But you can't deny that you didn't need to give these gifts to us." She took a deep breath before she said, "It's unnecessary."_

 _The man walked to Aki's side. "I gave it to you and your sisters as a gift. There doesn't need to be a reason for a gift." A small breeze swept past the two. "Besides...that's not what your sisters and you said when you were overrun against the Grimm after you took down a whole bandit tribe." A hand firmly grasped Aki's left hand. "You wanted this. And I gave."_

 _"Haru was in trouble." Aki explained while her gaze locked onto the destruction she caused. "So we needed to get stronger. All of us." The hand that held her own gripped tighter._

 _"And you will be stronger." The voice of reassurance was enough to soothe the woman's worries. He pulled her back, where a modestly large house was built among the trees in this forest. "Now I hope you enjoy some stew because that's dinner."_

 ** _*( &^%$:"{{":?!_**

 _Five armored men, each decorated with different banners and sigils, surrounded him in this vast open plain. Swords, halberds, and polearms were drawn, but his was sheathed inside its scabbard._

 _"What is the meaning of this, King of Vale?" Asked one of them. "You are not part of this!"_

 _"Aye." The man, the King of Vale, agreed. "This is your war. That much is certain. However, you have one thing wrong, King Sanctus. You all stepped on my lands. Therefore, you sought my company. And here I am." He took a deep breath as he stepped back, and walked around the Kings. "You invade my lands for a petty war. I deem all you people fools for continuing with this farce of foreign soil." He returned to his spot in the middle of all the warring Kings. A hand rested on the handle of his sword. "Leave my plains lest your blood be spilled upon it along with your armies."_

 _A tip of the spear tapped his breastplate. "You think too highly of yourself, Valean. You are only one."_

 _"…You are ready for war, King Sting? All of you?"_

 _"More than you are." Another man said with a scoff. "What do you plan to do just by yourself? A foolish King like youself, with years of youth still at his side dares to kill himself for what?"_

 _The steady hand gripped the handle of the sword. "True, I have much of my youth still with me." He removed his visor and hood, and showed his face to the Kings. "I'm not older than the usual Squires. But my age does not matter. I told you. To leave. My land. Take your petty war elsewhere." He pulled the sword out slightly, its bladed edge on both sides extended outwards to show the mechanical core inside while it released burning bright golden flames. "Take it, and shed your blood on those grounds, not mine." His eyes burned with fury as he glared at all of the Kings. "Or I will end you and your armies right where you stand!"_

 ** _* &^(*%#$ %#!_()*&)!_**

 _"Hey, Robin!"_ _The windows were promptly opened. The line of sight was moved from the rooftops of a prosperous town down to its cobblestone roads, where a red-haired young man waved at him. "I hear you're training the militia! Can I join in?!"_

 _"When you're older, Apollo."_

 _"I'm already seventeen!"_

 _"...Not gonna cut it as a reason." He waved the overeager young man away. "Now shoo. I'm in the middle of cleaning my house."_

 _"C'mon!" The redhead begged. "Teach me! You're the only one that can do it!"_

 _A moment of silence was given in order to make a sound decision. The man named Vortex walked around his room contemplating whether it was worth it or not. He yelled out, "Fine!" The man heard a cheer down below, and smirked. He looked out the window. "First lesson!" He ran towards that window, and jumped. "Expect the unexpected!" The man's feet landed on Apollo's face._

 ** _"}{":/(* &^%$#!_**

 _All alone in a wasteland of a battlefield...he looked to the sky with a glare._

 ** _& I^%#$ (&*^!_**

 _A nine-tailed fox roared loudly into the night sky._

 ** _?:L"{%$# !_**

 _A hybrid of an octopus and bull was chained down._

 ** _}{":/(* &^%$#!_**

 _A six-winged insect was cleaved of its wings, and was left to plummet to the ground._

 ** _)( &*^%$#%*^&(*)()_!_**

 _A slimy slug with six extra appendages was in the process of melting in this land covered with thick miasma and toxins._

 ** _%*(^)_":}%$ #$][!_)(* &!_**

 _A horse-like beast with five tails was pounded into mountains._

 ** _: #^%^%[(* &^ %#^&*^(*&&%^$!_**

 _A gargantuan gorilla with four tails was punched into a volcano._

 ** _()*.}" &*(^%_ _$!_ *%#&(&*)^)%(!**

 _A massive three-tailed turtle was shoved down into the sea floor._

 ** _)(* &^%$ !# $%^&*():L"{}}{"?}{{+_)(*#% $^&!_**

 _A two-tailed cat was burned and sealed away_ _._

 ** _":}{^% &$! !)(*#$ %^&*?:"{}:)(*&^%$# ! #$%^&$# #!_**

 _A raccoon-like beast was buried in dunes of sand amidst a sandstorm._

 _ **":{}}$%##^ &*)(*&^%$# ?":}{"{}: #$ "}%&^$# ##%$!**_

 _A man with skin and hair as white as an eggshell stood before him. "I've waited long enough. And_ She _has slept_ long enough! _" The man made a hand sign. The moon shifted colors to one that bled. The surface cracked, creating canyons visible to the naked eye. And before anything could be done to stop the stranger, the moon exploded._

 ** _?:L"{%$# !_** ** _: #^%^%[(* &^ %#^&*^(*&&%^$*%#&(&*)^)%(!_**

 _The world was on fire._

* * *

Yang and Weiss were pushed back. The two shook off the blow, and looked at each other with shock visible on their faces. Even more shocking was the fact the Dust was gone without anything in the room showing any sign of destruction.

Yang was the first to say anything. "W-What was that?"

Weiss shook her head. "I don't know. Memories...perhaps?"

Yang gave Weiss a look. "Memories..." She took a deep breath, then stood up. "I'd like to think otherwise, but your idea is admittedly better by a longshot. This wasn't purposefully done by him. He couldn't have done it." She walked over to Naruto, who still suffered a little from whatever happened. "Just _what_ is going on?!"

Weiss stood up as well. She looked at her hands, twitching from the unfamiliar sensation of having _memories_ dumped into her head. But with the exposure to such memories came the plaguing thoughts of curiosity. Her mind replayed a scene that instantly made her tremble from head to toe: the nine-tailed fox and its terrible roar. Weiss hunched over slightly, and wrapped her arms around herself. The reverberating sounds that beast made reminded the Schnee of Naruto's incredible fury deep inside. The broken red moon aided in cementing that memory of that battle inside her head.

Yang called out to her, but she didn't answer. She walked in front of Weiss, and still the Schnee failed to register her presence. She stood there analyzing her teammate's condition. Yang watched unfocused eyes tremble at the same pace of a buzzing Scroll. She also watched the calm and collected Schnee breathe deeply and uneasily. The lack of composure was enough to signal Yang that something wasn't right with what both of them saw -in Weiss's case at least. Yang kept her index and middle finger together, and firmly poked Weiss dead center to her forehead. Weiss recoil from it. "Got your attention now, Ice Queen?"

Weiss blinked several times. "Huh? Oh...right." She rubbed her forehead where Yang poked. "What was that about?"

"What's got you on edge?" Yang asked. "What did you see that made you all weak in the knees?"

"That Nine-tailed fox..." Weiss mumbled.

Yang slowly moved her gaze over to Naruto. "...He's being linked quite a number of times to that thing. I don't like it, but it seems Blake wasn't joking about her theory. Plus with we've seen...it only supports her." She faced the door ready to punch it down out of frustration. She wanted to deny. She desperately wanted to deny. But seeing was believing. And what she saw was something inexplicable to normal standards. "We need answers. And we'll need them from someone who knows _something_."

Weiss took a step forward. "Wait. What? What did Blake say?"

"She said that the Naruto we know is so much more. Even more than him being the next leader of the White Fang." Yang paused. She hesitated on whether or not to spill it all right then and there. But since Weiss was a teammate, she had to tell. She looked Weiss eye to eye. "That the Naruto we know is the most famous Naruto of all...the Hero."

"The...Hero." Weiss repeated. "You mean the one that made Remnant the way it is today?"

Yang nodded. "That's what Blake implied. Yes."

The two stared at each other for a while. Both took momentary glances at Naruto. Weiss broke that silence. "I agree. We need answers. We need them now."

* * *

Qrow looked at both Emerald and Mercury cautiously. He snapped his finger at Eis. "They're not here because of that confession are they?" He asked. The pair shook their heads. "Figures. Something deeper. So? What're ya here for, Theif and Butcher?" He held onto the handle of his sword with a careful and firm hold. "I suggest either of you answer quick, or else."

"We're here to tell you that something big is going to happen. A breach." Emerald answered. "Our leader...has made an alliance with the White Fang, hidden in the ruined underground cities of Mountain Glenn. They plan on blowing up the walls that blocked the underground tunnels that connect Vale and Mountain Glenn, and unleash chaos along with the Grimm."

Ironwood surprisingly took caution instead of a hasty response. "How can we tell you're telling the truth?"

"Because our friend is a mutual target for our boss and the White Fang." Mercury replied.

Qrow snickered lowly. "That supposed to win our hearts?"

Ozpin stepped forward. "It's supposed to tell us that their motive isn't selfish, Qrow."

"Betraying their boss because of a friend?" Qrow asked. He shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno. Their moral compass is skewed. After all, they didn't hesitate to take half of Amber's soul."

"Hear them out, Qrow." Eis implored. "You'd be surprised their loyalty is genuine."

"Ah? How so?" Emerald and Mercury presented their rings. The drunkard's smug face was replaced with seriousness. "I see. I'm surprised your arms haven't been burned off." He mumbled. "But anyways...you're saying your friend is the heir?"

"Yes."

Then it clicked. Qrow understood. At least the information he knew connected. "Mutual interest in your friend..." He scratched his chin. "Why does your boss have an interest in your friend?"

"We don't know..." Emerald replied. "At least...we didn't until his personality took a dip."

"' _Took a dip_ '?" He repeated. "You mean he changed? He wasn't like you knew him?" He continued to ask, "Did he seem like another person entirely?"

The two nodded. The answer resulted in the drunkard reaching for the handle of his sword.

"Qrow. Stand down." Ozpin ordered.

"No." The drunkard replied. "What we're up against is time, Ozpin." He slowly pulled his sword as his glare at the two intensified. "What we're-"

The Headmaster of Beacon interrupted. "-We're facing the end of Remnant as we know it." And as he finished that sentence, Qrow pulled out his sword, and trained its edge on the bespectacled man.

Ironwood and Eis scrambled into an uproar, bringing forth their own weapons hidden under their suits. The former revealed his hand cannon, while the latter showcased his wrist-mounted arm blade; both were aimed at Qrow. The Atlesians verbalized their concerns. "Have you gone mad, Qrow?!" The two of them asked in unison.

Qrow's glare intensified. "I knew what we were dealing with was something out of our league." He said the words firmly without a hint of fear. "I knew what we were dealing with was linked with the Grimm." He stepped forward. "I _knew_ we dealt with the supernatural -the ones told in _legends_." He twisted his sword so its edge faced Ozpin's neck. "You told us this. But you didn't tell us...you didn't say what was the endgame! You didn't say it! The world is in trouble, and you didn't say it was at this level!" Qrow shouted at Ozpin.

Ironwood placed his right hand on Qrow's left shoulder, and yanked him away from Ozpin. "Qrow. You don't need brains to find out that that's the perceived end result!"

"Calm yourself, Qrow!" Eis tried to calm Qrow.

Qrow dragged his sword on the floor. The sharp tip carved its way with little to no resistance. "I was under the notion that we could _deal_ with the problem together -Kingdoms united and all that." He said snappily. "I _thought_ we could handle it!" He yelled. "But surprise surprise, my sister says, we're going to be dealing with the _apocalypse_. I don't know about you, but I don't think just uniting is enough if what we're going to fight can _end the world_."

Eis raised an eyebrow. "Are you at a new level of drunk, or have you gone cynical?"

"I want answers, Ozpin!" Qrow roared as he ignored the other mens' words. "I've wanted answers for nearly two decades. Answers for the details of Raven's mission seventeen years ago, Summer's death thirteen years ago, and how all the legends you've told me about link together like a chain." He scoffed. "But you know what? I kept my mouth shut. You knew things I didn't. So I let it slide when you couldn't give me answers to those things I mentioned. I let it slide when you gave me missions to the mysterious corners of the world all for the sake of finding the threat. But I won't let this one slide -not now." He stabbed his sword on the floor. "As one of your Sentries, I want to know what I'm up against when the time comes to protect humans and Faunus." He took a deep breath. "What _terrible_ _force_ is out to end the world?!"

Then came the simple statement. "Which one?"

Qrow took a step back. "Excuse me. Did you just ask ' _Which one_ '?!" He asked in disbelief. "Did you _really_ just ask that?!"

"There are Nine legendary Grimm capable of leveling the continents. There is one entity hell bent on wiping the whole of Remnant clean. There is a slumbering soul waiting to unleash its rage on said entity. Eleven calamities capable of ending the world." Ozpin adjusted his glasses. "So I dare ask again... Which 'terrible force' are you referring to?"

 **And done. Shame I have to leave it at a cliffhanger, but yeah...** _**I hoped you enjoyed this chapter for what it contains. But if it's lackluster...eh...what can I do? I can't change your opinion. Anyways, what you see here is what you get folks.**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don't care.**_

 ** _This is Azure signing off._**


	42. A Simple Search for Answers

_**I'm back! Again, sorry for delay. I was admitted in a hospital for several days, which spanned the weekend before classes were over and done with so that finals week could happen. As you can imagine, it was stressful, both the academic and medical aspects of the situation. But I'm fine. For now. So here's that update! Hope you enjoy.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 38: A Simple Search for Answers

Yang shouted, "What do you _mean_ we can't meet the Headmaster right now?!" Her fury was aimed at a pair of Atlesian soldiers that guarded the only elevator that led to the Headmaster's office. Said soldiers were walls without any expression on their faces.

Strangely enough, one of them held the sass well when he spoke. "Exactly what it means, kid."

The other guy said, "Don't blame us, blame the Headmasters, both of them. They wanted only select people in there at the moment." He scratched his helmet, "And if both of them gave that order, we're inclined to follow." His head turned to Weiss, "That means even celebrities like you, Miss Schnee." Offended by this, Weiss let out a gasp before she pointed out that her father was up in Ozpin's office.

"We understand your father is there Miss Schnee; however, the Headmasters specified that only he and the two others that accompanied him were allowed to enter Headmaster Ozpin's office." The soldier reached for his gun. "Now if you continue to disobey those orders, they did allow a show of force."

The sound of a cocked shotgun was given in reply.

"Yang…" Weiss sighed as she lowered Yang's raised right fist. "That's enough. They've made their point." The dismayed Schnee turned around to head for her dorm room. Yang followed hesitantly if only to obey her teammate's wish; however, it did not mean her fists weren't ready to smash against the soldiers' faces.

The pair exited the tower, and were forced to wonder what was next on the agenda. Since Ozpin was out of the question tonight, they thought of going to Blake. But with how the moon shone high in the night sky, the pair reasoned that tomorrow was an appropriate time to have the conversation.

* * *

Yang walked the empty halls of the dorms populated by the employees. From what Naruto told to her, the building was made for the sake of a drastically shorter commute, and that it was an option. Naruto took the option of living here for less expenses due to the commute to Beacon and back.

She never paid attention to aesthetics of buildings, but Yang realized the structures and style were more or less the same with the other dorms on campus. The 'more' aspect came from have a comfier bed and larger space; the less…would probably be the lack of roommates. She was a social butterfly, roommates were a plus in her book.

And so, as she walked these empty halls, she was halted by the sight of a golden silhouette of a man. He held a regal, yet inviting atmosphere around himself that Yang was almost compelled to show respect. On the other hand, the silhouette was accompanied by another, shrouded in shadows. That silhouette radiated power and seemingly embodied all that is Fear. The two red dots where eyes would be were enough to send chills down Yang's spine.

"Who are you two?" She asked the pair.

Just then, the silhouettes talked.

 ** _"She is like you."_** The Shadow spoke, ignoring Yang's query.

 ** _"No."_** The Light responded. **_"She's been influenced by one with a bright heart. Another Sun in her life."_**

Yang raised an eyebrow, unsure of how to take that answer. All she could do was prepare herself for a fight; Ember Celica was deployed and ready for battle.

The Shadow scoffed. **_"She's ready for a fight."_**

The silhouette of Light never raised his arms or brandished a weapon in return. He stood still, and locked its eyes at the Shadow. **_"And what does that have to do with anything?"_**

 ** _"You were the type to take action first between us."_**

The Light seemed to smirk. He looked at Yang. **_"Perhaps…but she is nowhere near under my influence. Pure coincidence she acts the way she does."_**

The Shadow's eyes bore into Yang, inspecting all of her as if she was under a magnifying glass. **_"Hm. I suppose so, but you must admit-"_**

 ** _"Yes, yes, the name says it all."_**

 ** _"Is she capable of being the Moon?"_**

Once again, Yang was confused by the matter, and she continued to raised her guard against the two. The rubbish conversation was about her, but she couldn't understand the context of their exchanged words. It grated her being compared to someone. She was Yang Xiao Long -no one else!

 ** _"…One day. Her blood is a clash of the light and dark. A clash of the Sun and Moon. Her future is clouded with uncertainty. Whether she remains the Sun is entirely up to her when the eclipse in her soul occurs."_**

Yang clenched her fists tighter. "The heck does that mean?!" She demanded to know. Their cryptic sentences kept her in the dark, and she refused to be left out of the loop. "C'mon, speak up!"

The pair flared unbridled power. The atmosphere became heavy, as if the entire weight of the sky fell on Yang's shoulders. The pressure buckled her knees, strained her body, and even immobilized her; however, in true Yang fashion, she defied it as best she could. She stared at the two silhouettes, who looked at each other for a moment before returning their gaze on her.

The Light sighed. **_"Fine. I get where you're going with it."_**

 ** _"Hn…As long as you understood."_** The oppressive atmosphere was removed. Yang bounced back to her normal fighting stance, ready for battle. The Shadow walked towards Yang without giving off any ounce of danger. His left hand touched her left shoulder with surprising tenderness. **_"Walk tall, Shadow hidden in the Light. Never forget whose blood is in your veins."_** He said as he passed her. The silhouette of shadow melded with the darkness.

The man bathed in light walked towards her as well. He placed his hand on her right shoulder, and merely smiled before saying, **_"Don't listen to him too much. Go your own way, kiddo. Make your own destiny. But no matter what happens, walk tall like he said."_** Seconds later, he dispersed into particles of light.

But instead of completely disappearing, both Shadow and Light appeared beside her in different forms. To her left, a crow perched on her shoulder, while to her right, a fox nuzzled by her leg. The two animals lingered for a few more seconds before they truly dispersed out of existence.

Yang heard echoes of a voice calling to her. She looked for the source. Slowly, they got louder and louder, until she heard, "Oi, Girlie! Git up. That's no place for a young lady to sleep."

Yang's eyes snapped open.

"There we go. Come on. Upupup!" The voice was a woman, one of the janitors that lived in the dorm. The woman gave her hand, and Yang took it so she could be pulled up from her spot. Once she was pulled up to a standing position, the woman said, "Much better! Could have caught a cold, y'know."

Yang, still baffled by the events, was left speechless and nodding at the female janitor. It took a minute for her to say thanks to the woman, and the latter didn't mind the delay. The woman went on her merry way with a final warning to not sleep in cold hallways.

And left a confused Yang all by her lonesome with the question, "Who _were_ those two?" She walked the halls, unaware each of her hands momentarily glowed -one in orange sunset, the other in onyx-tinted light before they melded into the color of her Aura. A look of worry was etched on Yang's face. She had to wonder when and how did things spiraled down so far in such little time. Yang clasped her hand together in prayer, an act she hadn't done in years. Desperately, she prayed for things to go back to normal. She wanted these things to stop. Things were spiraling out of the status quo. She needed it to go back to the way it was!

* * *

Weiss stood in front of Doctor Oobleck's office. Why she was at this particular location at this ungodly hour was for the sole reason of satiating her curiosity. Curiosity over an individual that was inserted into her mind. With a composed expression on her face and a relaxed posture, she firmly knocked on the door three times.

A muffled "Come in." was said through the door. Weiss opened the door, and greeted the historian.

"Good evening, Doctor Oobleck." Weiss gave a small bow. "Might I be interrupting something?" Her ingrained lessons of manners and respect were clear with her tone and posture.

The disheveled man adjusted his spectacles and cleared his throat; the surprise visit from the Schnee heiress was -for the lack of a batter word- surprising. The man addressed the student with his usual eccentricity. "Miss Schnee! Good evening to you as well, and don't worry, you aren't interrupting anything too important. Though I must ask what brings you at this hour? An excellent student like yourself doesn't need an office visit."

Weiss nodded at the strangeness of this situation. "Yes, this is rather unusual, but I have a vary large inquiry regarding Valean history." Her explanation was enough to bring the man to an elevated sense of curiosity. She looked at the way his torso leaned forward towards his desk.

"While I'm flattered that you've come to me for an inquiry regarding this kingdom's history, I'm sure you'll find more answers in the library, no?" Oobleck suggested. "The various pieces of text in Beacon's library will help you more than one man's knowledge of the subject."

Again, Weiss nodded. "I understand where you're coming from, Doctor, but I'd much rather have your knowledge on the subject." She insisted that Oobleck tell her information. "I want a historian's perspective, focused and one-dimensional, not a mix from various sources."

Oobleck took a moment to think about the request. In the end, he said, "Take a seat." He told her. Weiss eagerly followed through on the offer. "While it's unwise to have a limited perspective when it comes to history, there is still the element of learning involved." The man took a quick chug of coffee then resumed to talk. "What would you like to know about, Miss Schnee?"

"King Vortex." Weiss answered.

Oobleck leaned forward towards his desk. "Oh my…that is a subject I've not talked about in a very long while. I'm intrigued by your inquiry, Miss Schnee, but what do you wish to know of the King? What piqued your interest in the late King?"

"It came to me in a dream." Weiss lied. "A man in Knightly robes and armor stood in a plain while he faced off five armies." Oobleck did not say a thing.

"…Dreams are a fickle thing, but I do believe you're reimagining the event known as 'The Divide'. Infamous. An event…that I'll mention later into our conversation."

Weiss pouted slightly. But that did not deter her from knowing more. "How did others see him as, what was his appearance, what kind of fighter was he, and how did he lead his people?" Weiss asked in a volley. Her eagerness was visible through her rapid-fire questions.

Oobleck took another sip of his coffee. He had to give thought to a few of those questions; especially to the ones regarding the King's character. Hard to judge someone's character if he or she was dead. Nonetheless, he gave an answer. "King Vortex was known as the Knight of the Sun. Oddly named considering his own name was synonymous to storms, but ancient text always depicted him in orange clothing while he wore his armor. As King, others saw him as a father figure despite his young appearance." The Doctor stood up, and searched his library for a book on the King.

"A young King?!" Weiss was rather shocked by the revelation.

"I believe from what I remember, he was around his late teens when he was crowned King of Vale after he displayed Kingly-qualities during a successful defense against a horde of Grimm. Quite…immature of the people to name him King immediately, but he didn't refuse either. Vale was larger than any normal settlement in Remnant. They needed a ruler. And because of his youth, outside Kingdoms looked down upon him and his land. Factors of this arrogance and condescending outlook on the young King were because he was King that did not totally control his people unlike others; a King that encouraged individualism and personal strength than constant aid to the people; and being a King that did not have ambition other than the growth of his people in his land." Oobleck found the book he searched for, and opened it while he continued his summary of the King of Vale. "Rival Kingdoms saw this as a weakness in him. Many of them wanted to invade his land for the sole reason that his inexperience was a blight to the word 'King'. They felt he lacked a presence of being a leader because of his supposed lackadaisical way of leading. But they agreed on one thing: he was a master at diplomacy."

Weiss tilted her head. "How so? From what you're saying, he's just a charismatic leader that knows how to fight."

"Indeed, he was charismatic. Men, women, and children flocked to him. Women especially, for during his reign, he was a bachelor." He took a sip of his coffee as he turned page after page of information. "But I digress. The man knew how to form faultless contracts with simple logic and thinking; each proposal between Kingdoms were uncomplicated, clear, honest."

"So you're saying he's transparent." Weiss restated.

"Yes, yes. Many loathed his honesty and naivety. According to one of the now destroyed Kingdoms, one particular ruler envied King Vortex's childish honesty. The honesty our King showed was a cause for suspicion. Our King gave anything he could, wanting little -yet substantial and necessary benefits- in return."

"I fail to understand." Weiss said.

"Instead of money, trinkets, natural or manufactured resources, or military support, he was infamously known for requesting 'The same kindness in return as well as their own word.'"

Weiss, as Heiress of a large company in a thriving industry, palmed her face at that. "Ridiculous." She muttered, but overheard by the Historian.

"Precisely!" Doctor Oobleck exclaimed. "Kings of yore ridiculed him of this. However, they understood that King Vortex valued promises. For each time he struck a deal, he kept his each time."

Weiss groaned. "More like he valued favors."

Oobleck waggled his left index finger. "You misunderstand, Miss Schnee." He said. "King Vortex, for all of his naivety, was an invaluable ally to anyone. He gave whatever was needed _within_ reason; he had the resources to do so. He helped in many ways: provisions, military aid, increasing quality of life… all of it even if it wasn't requested. All for the sake of making a comfortable and lasting friendship between Kingdoms. In return for his kindness, King Vortex wished to others to return it equally, and follow through on their word. What he wanted was their trust."

Weiss cursed her lessons in business, and let out an unsavory comment about the childish King. Oobleck was amused for the Heiress reacted how many of the old Kings did. "As I said, his honesty warranted suspicion. Such suspicion came to the point that one King fell into madness from his own paranoia." The Doctor flipped the page to an old map of Remnant. "That King was made an example of to not underestimate King Vortex's honesty."

"So aside from being a diplomat, how was he as a fighter?"

"Oh…all people considered him a failed Knight due to his preference over his fists than his own sword."

Weiss sat straight on her chair. "You mean to say the King was a brawler?"

"And it was quite the surprise to many. To the Kingdoms outside, to the people in his Kingdom, even the Knights that served under him were shocked. It was baffling that their King favored the fist over the sword; furthermore, the fact that the King emphasized hand-to-hand combat was blasphemous." The Doctor turned the page, and looked upon an illustration of the man. "But he did not shy away from the use of a blade. When he did, everyone respected him out of fear."

"What happens when he uses it?" Weiss asked.

"Nothing but pure destruction." Was the reply. He showed Weiss the illustration of a double-edged broadsword that was undeniably close to the make of modern weapons in terms of mechanical function. "The sword was forged to store the King's Aura. When activated to it's full potential, concentrated Aura extended the blade's range, increased its sharpness, broadened its width, and ultimately ravage the land in fire wherever it cut." The man snickered. "It's been said his Aura capacity was so massive that if he were to use all of it on his sword, his Aura could reach for the sun."

Weiss crossed her arms while she thought deeply on the King's character. "So a sleeping lion is what he was."

Oobleck nodded vigorously. "Most definitely. Accept his kindness, and return it, and everything would be fine. Provoke him, or go against your word, and you received the sword. Or his fist." The man winced slightly. "Er….most likely the fist." The Doctor leaned back on his chair. "It's his charm as ruler of Vale; he was fair in many ways. And when his limits were tested beyond it, that was when he showed his mettle to those that challenged him."

"…So then why?" Weiss asked. "Why did none of his men follow him in the fight against five armies if he was so charismatic?"

"…It was the King's wish." Oobleck answered.

"Excuse me?"

The historian cleared his throat. "Pardon my upcoming digression. The King was quite methodical and organized despite his simplicity. Vale, when it started off as a Kingdom, focused on defense. He realized there were certain roles that were needed to be met if the Kingdom was to live long and prosperously." The man turned the pages of his book until he found what he looked for. "His army was designed to be led by seven generals whom specialized in a specific form of combat -masters of their weapon. The Glaives were the swordsmen. The Bolts were the archers. The Javelins were the spearmen. The Chevaliers were the cavalry. Magi were the Semblance specialists. Executioners were the brutish warriors with freakish strength and endurance. And finally, the Shadows -his assassins. While standard, the act of making role-specific factions, the formation of the army as one, fluid unit is what makes them unique."

"…" Weiss let the man continue to see where this went. She was tempted to ask how this was relevant, but kept it to herself.

"T'was not an easy task to make an army like this. Especially not in his image. The King himself taught his generals on how to fight against an army. By pitting himself and his generals against the whole of their army."

Weiss perked up at the statement. "That's ridiculous!"

"Yes, yes. King Vortex's unorthodox training was infamous. But it was effective for it's time for what he wished for in his army." He turned back some pages to one that was bookmarked. "Here, let me read you a quote: ' _Each of you came with your weapons in hand. You are proficient in your choice of weapon, proficient in how to fight, proficient in how to kill. But your proficiency does not translate into a cohesive unit.'_ Weiss pondered on the words in the book. Oobleck recited the words he was familiar with. _"'My army must know how to cover their fellow man's weakness. My army must know how far their weapons reach. My army must know when and how to attack amidst a cluster of foes and friends alike. My army must care for one another while aiming for a victory.'_ "

Weiss let the words sink in. Until seconds later she understood. "He treated his men like family. He wanted no harm to come to them from either enemy or friend."

"Precisely the point!" Oobleck exclaimed. "Years. It took years to make his ideal army a functional one. And when it did, skirmishes between Kingdoms, tribesmen and Grimm alike were thwarted off skillfully with little to no loss of life for the army of Vale. The King valued teamwork and cohesion to the point the whole army of Vale and its King were like family. And in turn, passed that sentiment off to the people of Vale."

"So then…"

"King Vortex took on five armies in order to keep his Kingdom safe and prosperous."

"What led to this event?"

Oobleck adjusted his glasses. "The old Kingdom of Crag wanted to monopolize Dust while attempting to raise an empire out of their stockpiling of nature's wrath in hand. Other Kingdoms took this as a challenge for the monopoly and power to gain an empire. Their battleground? The northern plains of Vale." He gestured to move Weiss's attention back to the book, where the old map of Remnant was. "Our continent of Sanus wasn't like it is today as you can see. Sanus used to be larger. In fact, most of Remnant _was_ Sanus. In fact, Menagerie was the only continent not part of Sanus. Anima and Solitas were nonexistent then."

Weiss was quick to realize what that second fact implied when stacked with the information she just now learned. "He carved out a canyon out of the continent?"

"Purposefully." Oobleck said. "You see…the Wyvernian sea to the West and the Ryū sea of the East was not there before."

Weiss stood out of her chair in alarm. "The old Kingdoms are part of the seas?! He cleaved out entire kingdoms with his sword?!"

"Yes." Oobleck answered. "The King did not want his land sullied by war, so he gutted the earth from kingdom to kingdom in one massive and suicidal swing. Though he did not simply mercilessly ended hundreds of thousands of lives; he sent messengers to the kingdoms in question to warn them of calamity. Many believed, and left their homes before their lands were cut away."

"Why would he do that?!" She demanded to know.

"There are various interpretations; his wish for a prosperous kingdom -in a world without war- was one of them. Others were that he snapped at this massive form of betrayal to his kindness. Or that he found the very gruesome and terrible future had the war between the five kingdoms made headway."

"…" Weiss sat back down once she realized once more what the Doctor was implying.

"War -one of this scale- was bound to be a cesspool of negativity that would have attracted horde upon horde of Grimm to the plains of Vale." The historian closed his book. "And thus, he ended five kingdoms, armies, and himself in one swing of his sword to prevent such calamity from brewing in the heart of Remnant's continent of Sanus."

Weiss looked down at the book. "I realize I said he was a sleeping lion. But if...if he intended to remove a stain on the world that would bring about the Grimm...if he intended to fall into the good graces of others for equal treatment in return... Would you say he was a cunning fox?" She asked.

"Most definitely, Miss Schnee." Oobleck replied. "Our King wasn't a Saint. He had assassins at the ready to eliminate potential threats. He knew how people thought. I say, he acted upon the fears and desires of other Kings to benefit his own people."

Weiss swallowed he saliva. "A final query."

"Proceed, Miss Schnee."

"Did King Vortex have an apprentice or someone close to him at all times?"

The Doctor was left thinking about the answer. But he returned it confidently. "Yes. The general of the Shadow faction of King Vortex's army. Hair as dark as a raven's with eyes red as ruby gemstones. At the same time, he radiated power and fear by mere presence alone. Further accentuated, this characteristic, in a one-on-one duel."

Weiss almost scoffed at the description for it almost fit Yang. Minus the raven-like hair, of course. "I do believe I've heard enough, and taken much of your time. I apologize for that."

Doctor Oobleck shook his head. "You weren't a burden at all, Miss Schnee. In fact, it brings me joy you've an interest in Valean history even if it's a fraction of it." The teacher handed Weiss the book he used during their conversation. "Take this, and find out more. I hope it's enough of a start for your search for answers."

Weiss nodded, and thanked the professor before she left the room. Weiss went on her way to her dorm with the intent to know more of this part of Naruto's life. During her trek on the plaza just outside the building of her dorm, something caught her interest: her Scroll.

She opened up the piece of electronic. The nightly news popped up as a notification. The top story was the commotion earlier today.

 _"Return of the King? Mysterious Fighter Attacks Armed Unidentified Woman."_

And underneath that article title, a photo of a Knight in orange, while another image showing a statue with similar likeness was presented beside the photo. Weiss closed the Scroll, and walked with a more urgent pace. Judging by the photos, Naruto's physique perfectly matched the statue of the King even if the scale failed to match. If Naruto truly was the King, and the memories implanted in her weren't manufactured illusions, then... ' _I peeked into a small window of his life. There's more to him and his life. From the arrangement of memories, the first ones were recent. So then...what was beyond that fire?_ '

* * *

"I swing with all."

"Grk!" A look of shock and eventual surrender marred the face of Ruby Rose. She deeply sighed. "That's game. Aww...why is it that even in trading card games I can't beat you?!" She whined lightly. "You already take the title in combat class and tournaments, so why here too?!"

Pyrrha chuckled nervously. "Well...luck of the draw, I suppose. Plus, with there not being a lot of friends around with my...interests, there was only so much I could do to pass the time."

Ruby slammed her palms at the floor. "So you built perfect decks, had them packed with your belongings knowing that you weren't even planning on using them at all?!"

Pyrrha stammered. "They were keepsakes! My brother and I played this many times when I was back home in Mistral. H-He was the one that introduced me to this! I can't deny that I like the game, but they also remind me of home too!"

"But you can't deny that you're taking your hobby seriously aren't you?!" Ruby accused with a pout.

"Well my brother's passion can be that infectious when it comes to introducing his hobbies to me." Pyrrha defended herself.

The pair cleaned up the floor, and reshuffled their decks in preparation for another bout. During this time, Ruby looked at Naruto with worry. "Do you think he'll be okay?"

"He'll return to normal for sure, Ruby." Pyrrha reassured the young leader of RWBY.

"Do you think he'll like the whole milk and video games?"

"Only time will tell, but I'm sure he'll like the latter." Pyrrha replied. Ruby let out a small whimper; she desperately wanted to help. To get Ruby's attention away from Naruto, she said, "Why don't you just drink the glass of milk? I think it'll be better that he doesn't drink one that's been out of the refrigerator too long."

"You're right! I'll give him a fresh one when he wakes up!" Ruby bolted to the windowsill to drink the tall glass of milk like it was her last. When done, her milk mustache's shape was reminiscent of a classic character of the video game media. But in a different color of course.

Pyrrha listened to relative silence. So did Ruby, who accompanied her in the task of looking after their slumbering friend. The pair have stayed in this relatively simple room for about an hour, and both felt the tension in the air despite their attempts at alleviating it. The older redhead glanced over the flustered Ruby Rose, already making the painfully obvious fact more unbearably obvious that she was unsure of how to help Naruto whilst desperately wanting to. She looked towards the door while she gave a small sigh; she didn't know how to help him either. Bitterly, she bit her lip. Her fists clamped up like vices as she tried to tear apart the floor with her fingernails.

' _None of this would have happened if we weren't on the roof that night._ ' Pyrrha thought, pining the blame on her.

Ruby sat back on the floor in front of Pyrrha. She patted her deck, stacked neatly and ready for battle. "Anyways! I want another game!" She requested from the Champion.

The change in Ruby's demeanor was enough to throw Pyrrha's lowered mood out the window. With a small smile, she nodded. "The feeling is mutual, Ruby."

* * *

A young man in his early twenties walked up to his workplace atop a mountain. Slow, heavy steps were made during the trek up the peak. The snow and winds made the journey treacherous day after day, but he was acclimated to the conditions of this lifestyle. Not even the strongest of breezes, the icy ground, or daunting natural obstacles would push him off his path. Plus, he was too stubborn to even give any nuisance the time of day during this perpetually exhausting journey. But... there was also the -

"ACHOO!" He sneezed into his scarf. The distinct wet, sticky, and oozey sensation on his skin told him that he released quite a bit of snot on that one. "Oh come on!" He shouted. "Ancestor above, please go easy on me today! Puh-lease! The common cold ain't something I can just ignore!" He then proceeded to sneeze into his scarf again. "Dammit, this was my best scarf!" He complained as he unwound the cloth, and moved it into an empty part of his backpack. He trudged on the treacherous slopes of the mountain with his destination on site.

A static noise came to his left ear. _"Oy, aren't you a wolf? Y'know...the kind that can_ survive _the cold?"_ A woman's voice drawled out from the earpiece.

"Don't sass me, woman!" The Wolf Faunus shouted. "Just because the species I'm tied to can survive the climate, doesn't mean I can't get sick from it!"

 _"Oh hush now, puppy. Chop, chop, we got a long day ahead of us."_ Clearly, the woman didn't care.

The man ground his teeth together. "One of these days-"

 _"-You're going to blast me and my workplace sky-high."_ The woman finished for him. _"You need new material; getting predictable there, puppy."_

If a vein popped, it may have blown somewhere around his head region. " _Woman._ I am _not_ some comedy act for you to take enjoyment out of!"

" _And yet you're falling into my pace of making you the butt of the joke._ " She countered seamlessly.

Another source of static entered the fray. " _Got you there, Gray."_ The new voice joined in.

"Darius, shut her trap instead of flapping yours along with her." He ordered with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

 _"Are you just going full-stupid mode, Gray?"_

"Darius! Let me remind you tha-ACHOO! Lemme remind you that my brain is more focused on clearing my nasal passages than caring for the consequences that come from female fury." He cleaned his nose with a handkerchief whilst saying, "So just do as I say, and let me deal with the backlash."

 _"Screw you, man! I don't wanna get blown off the mountain! For your information, I kind of like to live, and I like my job too. So don't tell to do something that'll end my life while blowing up the top of the mountain because of your crazy order!"_ Darius shouted as he ended his connection to the communication system the trio had.

 _"The self-preservation instincts on that kid, eh, Gray?_ _"_

"Quiet, Fleur. He wouldn't have reacted that way had your previous meltdowns been tamer."

 _"My meltdowns_ were _tame!"_

"No. No. Blasting a crater off the side of this-ACHOOO!-mountain using centuries of stored Aura _sealed_ away by your lineage is _not tame!_ " Gray explained clearly for the woman to understand. "The very same crater I'm using to climb this frickin' mountain by the way!"

 _"Quit yer bitchin' and just get over here already."_ Fleur's flowery words were simple and straight to the point. _"You ain't a Rabbit Faunus, but I sure as hell know you got the hops and proficiency with Aura to boost yourself up over the last set of jagged hills up the mountain."_

"Nope! Not doing that." Gray said. "I'd like my Aura levels be on a manageable level, not exhausted before day's end, all right?" His pace quickened as per his colleague's order. "I'm making my way up as -Hah- FAst as I can."

It was a twenty minute hike up the mountain from then on. An occasional breeze tried to throw Gray off the mountain, but nothing his gear couldn't handle. Once he got to the top, he dusted off any snow off of his cloak, performed a quick inspection of his inventory strapped on his person. He mumbled to himself about the barely acceptable conditions of the spikes and treads attached to his boots, but may need new ones for a safe precaution. He also noted that the thermal packs were just about to lose their heat in a few minutes while his armaments are dry and freezing to the touch. Done, he looked up at his workplace, a gray fortress protected from all sides with automated turrets inside nearly invisible bunkers hidden in blindingly white snow thrown by the winds.

Gray shook his head, and turned around to look at the horizon, where the Atlesian skyscrapers, high-rise suites, and cluster of people lived: at the heart of the kingdom. "Still amazes me how no one from Atlas military is hounding us for being outside their sphere of influence." He took a deep breath. "I guess arming the whole mountain to blow up makes those jerks cautious enough to not barge through the door."

A loudspeaker came to life, and relayed Fleur's voice out. " _Gray, get your ass moving in here, and help me out already! Astaroth needs its main mechanic._ "

The wolf Faunus's ears perked up at the command. He turned around to rush into the building while yelling, "Doing combat tests already?! Ya could have waited, ya know!" He entered the building with an order. "Darius! Give me some room!" He shouted before he ran through the labyrinth of wide, concrete hallways secured by multiple cameras, traps, lethal laser walls, and automated machine gun sentries hidden in the very walls. Each of these obstacles, normally activated, were deactivated momentarily to give allowance for Gray to enter deeper into the building. He headed down two flights of stairs and a myriad of hallways to get to the training ground a the heart of the underground building. As he entered, Gray noted the change in temperature. He stripped off his cloak, jacket, and thermal pack hastily. "Really?! You could have warned me Astaroth was in cooldown mode!"

"But where's the fun in that?" Asked a woman, Fleur, from down at the center of the room. "It's nice to see you squirming." The woman smirked at her colleague's misfortune. "Give's me a reason to enjoy the day."

Gray, done removing his necessary layers, glared at the woman. "Hey, grease monkey. Shut it." He said as he took one of his jackets and handed it over to her. "And for crying out loud, get some layers on you! Seriously unprofessional with how you're only wearing that dirty white tank top and boy shorts you got there." He shook his head as he walked towards his current job. "No care for safety...or modesty for that matter." He gave a look, "Seriously, put on some pants."

"Why? Does it get you hot and bothered seeing me like this?" She teased with a sultry pose, showing off her slender arms, firm thighs, and lithe form.

Gray flared air from his nostrils as if they were exhaust pipes. "Woman, you wish that was the case!"

"I suggest you stop antagonizing lady Fleur, mister Gray."

"Astaroth." Gray acknowledged the new voice. "How many times do we have to -AChoo!- discuss that Fleur is not a lady? Not when she's like this?" He looked to the giant object sitting next to the barely dressed, Fleur.

Astaroth stood up, and towered over Gray; its height was already double to that of Gray's six foot tall self. The hulking mass of armor, hydraulics, wiring, and Atlesian technology walked up to Gray, forcing the Faunus to look up to the ceiling just to look at its knightly helmet for a head. The sentient creation crossed its arms, attempting to appear as if disappointed in the Faunus for the needless taunts and teasing. "Enough times until you understand that you cannot win against her because she has the capability and every right to blow you to kingdom come for your transgressions against her."

Gray gave the robot a dirty look. "You're such a killjoy for stating the obvious."

"I concur." Said the metal humanoid.

"Hn...Status report." Gray commanded unenthusiastically. He took out his Scroll, and was ready to take notes of today's mishaps due to testing.

The robot reported its condition and damages clearly for the Faunus to take note of. All the while, he gave Fleur one-handed gestures for the tools that he needed to repair the sentient machine. Fleur's hands glowed blue, and the tattoos on her right arm glowed the very same color. Her already blue eyes were bathed in a silvery blue as her powers were unleashed to conjure up the needed tools hidden away in a different dimension. A small portal opened in between the woman's hands and out came the tools like a waterfall. When done with the report, Astaroth deactivated itself while standing up.

"How long will this take?" Fleur asked as Gray took a tool to initiate the process of prying open the one of many layers needed to get to the robot's inner frame, where the damage was supposed to be located.

"Give or take a couple of hours, Fleur." Gray answered a he ruffled his shaggy brown hair before going to work. "While I'm doing this, how about -sniff- you check on your dad, and see what he's up to in terms of keeping the rest of the world safe, eh, junior 'Gatekeeper'?"

"Dad's in Vacuo checking out the increasing rate of harsh sandstorms." Fleur replied as she sat down, and took a tool to help out her colleague in fixing Astaroth to its proper self. "He thinks that Number One is getting antsy with what's happened in Vale." She scoffed. "Personally, I'd look at Number Nine since most of the negative disturbances as of late have been in Vale. Plus it's the closest."

"But isn't Nine the one with the greatest amount of restraints? Nothing could possibly break the chains its got." Gray asked.

Fleur inspected Gray's ignorant expression on his face. She then lightly smacked him with the back of her hand. "It took my five times great grandparents, their kids, and grandkids to lock it up. Most of them died making the effort. I wouldn't underestimate its power even if it's under lock and key."

Gray knew Fleur should have hit harder. But she didn't, and that made the talkative Faunus clamp his mouth shut. The pair worked in relative silence for minutes; their maintenance and repair of Astaroth being the cause of noise in the steaming training room. But, minutes into their silence, Gray broke it to say a few things.

"It's nice to be cautious over something like that, but it doesn't hurt to have confidence in your family's work. Your lineage was given that power because your ancestor believed you could do it, right? So like him, I believe you can handle them with all you've got." That earned a genuine smile from the woman. The pair then continued their work silently and efficiently in hopes of getting their robot back to proper working order.

* * *

"Will you be okay here, Yang?" Ruby asked her elder sister.

Yang hugged her younger sibling with enough force to make the young one groan in pain from the bear hug. "I'll be fine, Rubes. It'll just be for one night. Hopefully, he'll wake up normally by the time morning comes." She released the hug. "But, if something happens, I'll be sure to call you and the others for help, okay?"

"Okay." Ruby nodded then turned around. "Goodnight, Yang, Pyrrha." The reaper never waited for a goodnight from either young women, and ran down the hallway with the intent to return to her dorm as quickly as possible.

When Ruby was out of sight, Pyrrha turned to Yang. "What happened tonight with Naruto?"

Yang glanced over to the crack in the door. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." She mumbled.

Pyrrha, while she may have been down in the dumps, knew something was up when Yang called Ruby and her to look after Naruto. She just didn't question it. Not with Ruby around. She just gave Yang an intense stare. "Yang, my mother was a White Fang member, a close friend of the leader, and here I am living in the same campus with the man's son, who has unique abilities that may or may not be tied to a Semblance at all. Need I remind you that we have a friend that thinks he so much more than what we currently know." She reminded the blonde of recent events regarding Naruto. "What you have to say will only be in the realm of plausibility considering who we're talking about." Yang clicked her teeth. Pyrrha observed the unusual behavior, and hoped it was something trivial.

She was wrong.

"Naruto...made Dust."

Pyrrha blinked several times. She was unable to comprehend the three words combined in that specific order that made the sentence. "Beg your pardon?"

Yang placed her back against the wall with her gaze to the floor. Her fist were clenched at the imagery. "I can't explain it, but strings of light -visible strings filled with _power_ came out of Naruto. It made him suffer, like he was being torn apart. Like it was ripped out of him. Or he purged it out of him like some virus that needed to be rid of." Her shoulders stiffened as her mind replayed the sounds of Naruto's pained convulsions. "That _power_ clumped up together into _Dust_. Not any regular Dust; it's the kind you'd find at a research facility to try and figure out its properties."

"What did you find?" Pyrrha questioned.

"Power...and _memories._ " Yang mumbled.

Pyrrha stepped back. Not out of shock, nor fear. She stepped back to look through the crack of the door leading in to Naruto's room. "'Power and memories.'" She repeated. "I understand the first part, considering you described power coming out of him; however, I do not understand where the memories came from."

Yang pounded a fist to the wall behind her. "Neither do I!" Yang exclaimed. "We activated that Dust, and next thing we know, we saw him dying with a friend next to him under the red moon. We saw him with a family, and four lovers -one of them having a powerful Semblance or something. We saw him alone facing five armies as a King! And then...we saw them... The legendary Grimm, and how they were stopped." Her voice died down to a mumble. "And then...some strange guy...was the cause of it all: the destruction of the moon, the corruption of the beasts..." Yang kept a hand to her face to try and keep her composure. "And in the end of it all, we saw fire. The _world_ was on fire."

Pyrrha maintained silence because she analyzed what was told to her. And what was told was a peculiar set of memories that likely spanned multiple lifetimes. And with the knowledge that the legendary Grimm were tied with these memories... "So is this the proof Blake needs to prove her theory?" Pyrrha questioned.

"I don't know!" Yang answered, now fully comprehending that the events during this week was far too much to handle in so little time. The overload of information and confusion along with it forced the young woman to fall to her knees as if begging for everything to calm down and return to the way it was. "I don't know anything! I thought he was a student, turns out he's a janitor. Whoops, not a janitor, the supposed to be next leader of the White Fang." She banged her head against the wall. "Nope! Turns out he's an immortal, was a King, and made this world the way it was." Yang raked her hair with her fingers. "I don't know him anymore than I did the first time I met him, or when I found out his secrets!"

Pyrrha saw the stress Yang was in. She concluded that because of Yang's actions at this moment, Yang passionately denied Blake's theory. She concluded that what Yang denied was the fact that there was another thick layer of mystery to her boyfriend. "Yang...you know that's not true."

"And what is?!" Yang fired back. Her eye color changed hues to that familiar bloody red.

"..." Pyrrha found it hard to respond to Yang's pain.

"I was attracted to him because he was a handsome face with a fair bit of mystery to him. I was infatuated with him because he was such a contradiction to both the people around him and himself. I fell in love with him when he wanted to know _me._ I fell in love with how much he put effort into understanding me, and saw my strengths and flaws because of it. I fell in love with him when he let me into his heart, and I let him in mine." Yang fought back tears that tried to leak out. "I thought I peeled most of his layers -all his secrets- but no! I'm so, so _wrong_!" She knocked her forehead into her left fist repeatedly. "Now because too many things happened too fast, I realize that the Naruto I know -the loving big brother-figure to countless orphans, the hardworking janitor that didn't want to fight at all, and the guy that had no idea how important he was to Faunus kind- might not be the Naruto _I_ know any longer!"

Pyrrha saw the confusion and anguish in Yang's eyes. Yang and Naruto were doing all right in their relationship before the former was informed of Naruto's blood ties. The two went on several more dates, each time growing closer behind the scenes. Even before Naruto knew his blood's importance, the pair just worked well together in many people's eyes. Though admittedly, few others thought differently. And now to see Yang's pain being caused by these new and shocking discoveries left Pyrrha with no choice but to hug the blonde as a means to console.

"Pyrrha?"

The Mistralian Champion rubbed the back of Yang's head much like her mother did for her when she broke down into tears. "You're panicking. Enough of that." She chided Yang. Her tone was reminiscent of her mother's bluntness, which caused her to inwardly smile. "Naruto will still be the Naruto you knew." She reassured Yang.

"B-but what if Blake-"

"If Blake is right, and those were indeed memories of his past life or lives, then he'll persevere through them." Pyrrha said honestly. "At his core, Naruto will be who we all know him to be. Don't let anything make you stray from that thought."

"And what if you're wrong, and those memories change him?" Yang asked.

There was an obvious silence following the question. Pyrrha's comforting hand on the back of Yang's head stopped caressing her hair. For a few moments, this occurred. Until, she said, "Then I'm wrong." She ended her embrace, and stood up. "I can't tell him what to do, nor what to think; I can only be there for him -help him figure out what to do with those emotions and memories throughout the lifetimes." Pyrrha offered her hand. "I assume you'll be doing the same or more than that to keep him the way he naturally is."

Yang slowly rose up. She refused Pyrrha's hand with the intent to show she was still mentally strong. But her words said otherwise. "I'll try."

Pyrrha lowered her offered hand. She understood that Yang was close to accepting the circumstances. Now she had to make Yang aware of her own situation. She turned around as if ready to leave. "It seems that your fear of change has ironically changed you too." She said. "The Yang Xiao Long I know doesn't do things half-heartedly."

"Then what am I supposed to then?!"

Pyrrha glanced back, "Do as you've always done when Naruto was in distress: comfort him." She began to walk away. "I know you can do it. He gave his heart to you, after all."

Pyrrha's encouragement was simple and to the point. Because of it, Yang was able to somewhat think clearly on the matter. She walked inside Naruto's room; closed and locked the door; took his chair from under the desk; and sat on it while looking after Naruto. Part of her was scared. Scared for Naruto. But Pyrrha was right. If there was a backlash to this, she had to comfort him. Yang removed her top -leaving the undershirt on her. She threw her top on the desk, and got up to tuck Naruto under the blankets. It was a process that took more time than needed. Eventually, she was successful, and she too tucked herself in beside him.

Yang nuzzled her head to Naruto's neck. "I'm scared..." She admitted to the slumbering Naruto beside her. "But I won't run. I'm going to stand by you, Naruto. That's my promise to you."

 _ **And that's it for this chapter. Question time: Is this arc going by slow? I feel like it is, considering I've spent like five chapters dedicated to three days in story timeline. Or am I dishing out enough plot points, background info, and new additions to the story to keep the ball rolling despite not much happening in terms of moving the plot? Aside from that, hope this was enough for a chapter.**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don't care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	43. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

_**Here's another chapter, guys. Hope you enjoy.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 39: Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

"Can you tell me what's wrong, Naruto?" Yang asked the teary-eyed janitor. He was hesitant. Yang knew it because he opened his mouth several times without an utter of a single word. But she stayed the course, and patiently waited for an answer. She clasped her hands around Naruto's own trembling pair. She was determined to comfort him through these challenging times.

Naruto looked down. "...I'm forgetting...things."

Yang stared at his eyes, quivering in what she thought was fear. "Forgetting?" She repeated. "What did you forget?"

"...Memories."

Yang took one of her hands, and playfully slapped his cheeks. "Well duh." She said softly. "But what I'm asking is what kind of memories did you forget?" She clarified. The same hand she used to playfully slap was then used to comfortably caress his cheeks. "Even if it doesn't make sense, say it."

"...People."

"What about them?"

"I...forgot about people." He said with a shake of his head. "There were so many -millions of people! ...But I-I don't know who they were, how old they were, how they looked -I don't even know if they were guys or girls!" His left hand covered his left eye as he tried to squeeze the left side of his face for more information. Yang pried his hand away, and instead made her forehead make contact with his.

"Shh...No need to panic. Just keep talking." She made him calm down by muttering to him to breath slowly and deeply. It barely worked because it took nearly twenty minutes for him to stop freaking about who those people were. She watched him tremble as his weak cries of curiosity slowly broke his sanity. "What else did you forget?"

"...Places. Things. Everything!" He said. "But the thing is-" He flinched and stopped. "It's...they're..." He failed to find the words. He tried, but still failed.

"...You know what they are, but not how they look, where you've seen them, how were they a part of your memories, or their importance."

"..." He nodded.

Yang ruffled his hair. "...Let's focus on something more focused and smaller." She suggested. "Do you remember? Do you remember who you are?"

"...Naruto Uzumaki. Er...Fiamma." He corrected.

"Do you remember where you lived during your childhood?"

"In...In an orphanage near the coast of Vale."

"Do you remember your friends?"

His were were glazed as his vision was stripped away in favor of the blank, white void that was his forgotten-no faded memories. He looked at what was right in front of him, countless people with no color to them, nor a face to identify them; they were empty figures almost like a doodle in the shape of people. The buildings in the background were just a labyrinth of lines; he couldn't tell which was where the roof started and where the front door ended. There was nothing he could figure out. But it still hurt him to forget. It still hurt to feel this feeling of being locked away from things he needed to know. _"Don't you remember your duty to them? Don't you remember your friends?!"_ A memory snuck out -a trigger. He winced, but nothing to compare to from last night.

"I remember you, Team RWBY, Team JNPR, Granny, the little rascals, Ozpin..." He closed his eyes. "My best friends...Em and Merc, Sage..., and..." He trailed off, unsure of how to address the next and final person. He never got to say because Yang embraced him. She embraced him, and poured out all of her compassion and love. It was comforting for him to be in Yang's arms. It felt right. But what wasn't right was the fact that his ears -his sensitive lion ears- picked up whimpers in her soothing hum meant to console or at least calm him.

Her hum destabilized; she choked up. "You're still you...thank goodness you're still you."

But deep inside, a doubtful thought lingered while his eyes looked at the mirror on the desk behind Yang. ' _Am I still me?_ ' He asked himself as he heard bestial roars of anger echo in his mind.

* * *

Jaune's feet stepped back on solid ground. And the first thing he did after getting back to said solid ground was to sprint towards the nearest trash can to empty his stomach. It was a quick upchuck; he only had a few hard-boiled eggs sprinkled with some salt and a toasted cheese sandwich for breakfast. Still...he actually wanted to keep it in. It was food -made by his mom! You couldn't just waste it! One does not simply waste mom's cooking. After that bout of unmanly display, one of his elder sisters tossed him a piece of gum, which he caught easily, unwrapped, and chewed on the minty fresh gum to get rid of the terrible stench.

"Thanks, Noire." He said without chewing on the gum like a madman.

The elder sister, wearing a black bodysuit layered with protective padding at the elbows, knees, shins, and forearms, slung her arm around Jaune's neck. The only thing that counted as armor were the metal plates on her gloves, the visible steel-toed boots, and a black kevlar combat vest with the gold emblem of the Arc family right where the heart would be covered. But...if one were to look, one could notice some lingering Atlas tech, button-like attachments that latched onto her hips. "Got your back, little bro." She nuzzled her cheek onto Jaune's, and tightened her hold with her moderately large biceps crushing his right cheek. Such force was used that Jaune felt the need to tap out like a referee for a wrestling match. He even mumbled weakly in between his sister's arm and cheek.

"Noire, you're killing Jaune." Said another sister. This one wore a forest green, strapless, knee-length blouse underneath a darker green poncho laced with gold trimmings and a symbol of the Arc family dead center. Her platform heels clacked as she came closer to the bonding pair. The green-loving sister pinched Noire's ear, and pulled her away effortlessly. The sister in black pleaded for her life while she stumbled trying to keep her pace with the eldest sister towing her around.

Meanwhile Jaune got his precious air, and sucked up all he could without choking on his gum. A few moments later, the young man looked to his eldest sister, and said, "Thanks Verte!" His cheek to cheek grin present.

"Glad to be of help, little brother." Verte said.

Lumière, Jaune's father, stepped forward. "Jaune." He called to his child as he brandished both sword and shield, Cocrea Mors.

Jaune looked down, ashamed of his actions -his forgery, his abandonment of his family... He started to say, "Dad...I-I."

"You're going to need your weapon and shield if you want to graduate here." Lumière told. He walked up to his son, and gently pushed the weapon and shield to Jaune's breastplate.

Jane's eyes locked onto his father's. "Wha-? D-Dad I did something-"

"-You did something terrible, yes." Lumière agreed with his son's feelings on the issue. "You worried your mother, your sisters, and me. The child we coddled rushed in headfirst to become a hero." Upon saying that, the father looked at his son's look of shame.

"I-I'm...I'm sorry." Jaune weakly apologized. "I should have told you. I should have -but I didn't. I'm a disgrace to our family." He choked out.

Lumière breathed deeply. "Glad you regretted your actions." He said. "What you did was wrong. You cannot say otherwise. You hurt us. You hurt us a lot. But you didn't hurt us enough to call you a disgrace." The father reassured his son. "You did what your heart told you; I cannot fault you for that. Besides, look at what your choice gave you. It gave you a chance to follow your dream. I will admit, I expected you to come back sooner or later." Jaune sank from his words. Lumière quickly decided to fix that. "But to my surprise, here you are, leader of a team, still lackluster in sword skills, but one of the best defensive fighters of your year's roster." The man gave a small smirk. "If I recall, your Headmaster boasted that you're second to the famed Pyrrha Nikos, your partner, I heard." He saw his boy's eyes light up at the praise. Part of him wanted to let his child keep it. But... "I also heard that you're inherited the family Semblance. And that you overused it."

Jaune's bright smile drowned into a blank expression. "That's right... I found it."

There was a pregnant pause between the two. Jaune didn't what to say, neither did Lumière, who needed to transition into his next lines. Eventually, the father found it, and said, "The Arc family Semblance...is not like the Schnees, whose members share the same powers." Jaune had to wonder what his father meant about 'powers', but his thoughts were stopped by his father's continued explanation. "Ours...ours is determined by the persona we display in the heat of battle."

"I don't see where you're going with this, Dad." Jaune said.

"Noire's Semblance deals with enhancement of her body for she yearns strength. Verte's Semblance is to alter perception because she wishes to have an elegant battle under her control. Your sister Rouge has the Semblance of a body double because she wants to be in two places at the same time. Etcetera, etcetera." The father took a pause to ask, "Do you see where I'm going with this?" Jaune nodded slowly. "Good. You see...a Semblance, even upon its discovery -hasn't changed one bit from how it's determined. A Semblance defines you -well...your personality defines your Semblance, but you get what I mean, right?" He pushed Cocrea Mors harder on Jaune's chest. "And you, son, carry the centuries-long Semblance of reflection and dispersion of force because you are like me and your ancestors: stubborn, selfless, willing to take the burden, and send it back to them twice as hard. Or...you want to lessen the blow." Jaune wanted to argue. Lumière sighed; he knew what it was about. "You're stubborn when it's something that means to you. Your wish to be a hero...you went to Beacon behind your family's back to get it. Your skills? You stubbornly trained to get to your current level. The fact you lasted long against a monster of an opponent...was because you were too stubborn to let that thing get past you, who wanted to selflessly take the burden meant for one Weiss Schnee."

That left a moment of silence between them.

Jaune held the sword and shield while looking at them. "...You said it several times that it's a family Semblance?"

Lumière confirmed with a nod. "Any Arc that displays the traits I mentioned...among with other things are bound to get that Semblance. Proven so by countless members of our family up the family tree."

Continuing to look at his tools to fight, Jaune's mind wandered to that vision he had. "...Is there only one per generation?" He got a nod. That only got Jaune suspicious about the visions. Vague the powers defined may be in that vision, a shield was meant to protect by however means possible. He speculated if that vision had something to do with his family's Semblance. "Does the Semblance have any ties to Cocrea Mors?"

"The shield belongs to the one with that Semblance for the sole reason the wielder cannot rely on his Semblance, or he will die in prolonged combat." The father answered. "Also helps that it's lasted centuries too; so its durability has great merit."

"Cocrea Mors was made that long ago?!" Jaune asked in surprise.

"Yes." Lumière nodded. "Our sword and shield have not only been in the hands of Huntsmen and Huntresses, but also with soldiers, guardians, warriors -knights. The most famous of our line being the ninth generation to the general of the Glaives faction of the Kingdom of Vale, Julius Arc. Even then, the shield was older than him!" He poked the trusted shield several times. "What you carry is a memento of those who fought to protect what they cared for stubbornly, selflessly, and was willing to take the hit to come back stronger." He then pounded on the shield. "So stand strong, head up, be unyielding-"

"-Because an Arc never backs down!" Jaune finished for his father.

Lumière gave his son a bright smile and a crushing hug. "Atta boy!"

"Jaune-Jaune!" The familiar shout and voice of Nora reached Jaune's eardrums. "Jaune-Jaune!"

Smirking, the father, whispered, "Special lady friend?"

"A pet name from a teammate, dad." Jaune whispered back in a growl.

"Right..." His dad drawled on as if he didn't believe his son. Speaking of, Jaune looked like he had enough of this side of his dad.

"Dad?" Jaune forced the hug to break. "One last question before you talk to the rest of my team."

"Fire away."

"Have you ever had dreams of four brothers getting a gift from their father?"

Jaune noted the paralyzed look his father had. Stone cold. Unmoving. Blank. One would think he was a statue colored in the likeness of Jaune's father because of how still he was. For Jaune, it freaked him out a minuscule amount considering he never witness his father react like this.

"We'll have to talk about this at a later date." Lumière said lowly in a serious tone. "Your teammates are here."

* * *

Naruto busied himself by trying to remember crucial aspects of his memories. Childhood, pre-teen, and present were covered as best as he could. The system of doing so was by writing down what he remembered -both good and bad- under the three aforementioned sections: childhood, pre-teen, present. He was quick to remember his education then, his bratty and violent attitude when it came to inequality between Humans and Faunus, his all-around usefulness in his home, and among others...of which he did his best to move on. Pre-teen wasn't much. All about doing jobs for that part of his life. Night-shift janitor at a restaurant, unofficial bouncer for Junior's, inventory management for the local market, bike courier, etcetera, etcetera. But there was also the time Granny Lupa trained him. Conditioning was all it was and a lot of copying involved, but training nonetheless. It's where he got most of his physical strength from. There's also the fact that he was a bit of a vigilante -though he wouldn't admit it, and call it being an upstanding citizen or something. The present section carried over what the previous section had...with more physical altercations with jerks, total assholes, criminals, and yadayada. The present section also had his current employment as Janitor to Beacon, which in itself was given a sub-section to which he wrote everything worth of note in. From his first day to his dates with Yang, to his heritage and family, he got most of it down on the notebook. The more painful parts of this took time to write down. Minutes at most, but the lingering thoughts about them were present. The only thing left...

Was the cause of what brought him to the hospital in the first place.

Those enraged roars of an animal still clung tightly in the darkest corners of his mind. ' _I hurt Weiss, Jaune, those Atlesian students... I went out of control._ ' He took his pencil to paper, but never wrote anything with it. ' _Why did I go out of control?_ ' He dredged up that particular event hoping to find the trigger. Nothing came to mind at the moment. He sighed, and lowered the pencil.

Naruto wrote nine pages worth of notable memories, three pages dedicated to each section. And as he analyzed these events, not once did Naruto ever find any of those vague _memories_ (from what he could piece together) to have any semblance of chronological order. Like a foreign puzzle piece, it just failed to fit.

He stood up from his chair, closed the book, and tidied up his room. "Just gotta keep trying." He muttered to himself. He left the room, and headed for the closest library, the one in the first year building. He thought that maybe he could clear his head a little with a little bit of reading.

"Naruto!"

The blond looked to the one that called out to him, "Em?" He looked past her. "Merc?" He took a breath of relief, then smiled. "Morning. How are you two?" He greeted. The greeting shocked the pair. He didn't know why; they just did. But he felt that the shock was there for good reason. Or bad, depending on the perspective. He just hoped his guess was just wild speculation. "Something the matter, guys? You two look like you saw an impostor or something." He walked up to the two, and hooked his arms around their necks.

"We just heard you got out of the hospital, and rushed to look for you." Emerald said. She looked at him from top to bottom as if searching for one flaw to his recovery. She nodded in satisfaction, then hugged him. "You're okay. Thank goodness."

"That worried, huh?" He rhetorically asked. He got a punch on the shoulder courtesy of Mercury.

"Yeah, we were worried." Mercury replied indignantly. "Well...for me not too much. Em here was pacing back and forth like crazy." He gave a smirk to the green-haired girl knowing he got to tease. "Heard you got severe burns and fractured bones." Mercury looked at Naruto, completely unscathed, and said, "But I guess that was a lie."

Naruto looked down. "They weren't wrong." He said. "My arms and legs were burned. Barbecued. A nurse with a healing Semblance fixed them down to the burnt off nerves. I guess my broken bones were healed too." He lightly chuckled to hide his fear. Never a pleasant sight to see pieces of you burnt to a crisp, after all. Or be unable to move because of broken bones. "I'm thankful to her for helping me." He gave a small smile at the memory, the shook his head. "Never mind about that. I seriously have to ask why you two gave me that look."

"There was a commotion at the hospital you were at yesterday afternoon." Mercury answered. "Do you know what happened?"

Naruto furled his eyebrows together. He tried to remember, but couldn't. "No. I don't know." A look of concern washed over him. "Dammit...I'm losing memories _this_ recent too?" He muttered lowly, but not enough for the pair to not take note of what he said. He unhooked his arms from his friends' necks. "What happened yesterday? Something must have got you two on the tips of your toes if you were worried for me."

"Oh nothing too bad from what I heard." Mercury dismissed the event nonchalantly. "Just a fight that did some property damage to the hospital and the nearby building." His response got a heel stabbed to his toes. "Hey!" He glared at Emerald.

"Stop downplaying it!"

"I'm not!"

"Considering what some people can do here, that report on the news wasn't a surprise." Mercury defended his position. His thumb pointed to Naruto. "For example, his girlfriend is a powerhouse."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "And you know Yang how?"

It was Mercury's turn to hook his arm around Naruto's neck. His free hand pointed to Naruto's face. " _You_ , my friend, are the talk of the first years. Gossip about the 'Dragon Princess and the Pauper' are a hit." He let go of Naruto and playfully twirled around Naruto, with full intent of teasing him. "The fierce Dragon Princess, untouched and unyielding, was fierce. A beast in battle that retained all of her beauty. None dared to get close, and those that did got burned. However, one day, the Dragon princess was captivated. By a Pauper. The Pauper, you see, was but a worm trying to survive in the harsh world. And one day, the Dragon Princess saw that Pauper, surviving and fighting to live. Intrigued, the Dragon Princess watched day after day, enchanted by the Pauper's rugged looks and latent power and skill. She thought he was a diamond in the rough, and came down from the heavens to meet him." Mercury did various poses meant to fit his theatrics. "Am I getting it right so far?" He asked with a knowing smirk.

A firm boot to the face was the response.

"Merc, you know my stance on theater. The bad kind. The stupid, embellished, Mercury-approved kind."

Mercury, on the floor, smirked. "Yeah, yeah." He drawled. "But you gotta admit, I got you off your little moping train."

Naruto stood ramrod straight, and looked away slightly. "Wasn't moping."

"You were. Don't deny it. I don't have a hearing disability, Naruto." Mercury bluntly reminded him. He pointed to his ears. "I have ears. So does Emerald. We heard what you said. Besides, you only think you hear yourself, but in reality, it's those sensitive ears of yours screwing with your whispering skills." He stood up quickly. As he did so, he gave his friend a glare. "So let me be the kind and concerned friend that I am, and ask... What were you saying when you said that you were 'losing memories that recent?'" He grabbed Naruto's collar, and pulled him. "Don't bother lying. I've seen enough two-faced bastards to spot a lie."

Naruto was stunned at first. Mercury wasn't the type to be direct with heart-to-heart conversations. Usually teased his way to get to the point. Seeing this, Naruto's stare became a calculative one. His observation of their encounter proved to be of some merit; something happened between him and his friends that he forgot. His right arm latched onto Mercury's collar. "If you've got the balls to say I shouldn't lie, then you shouldn't do that to me the moment you saw me just now." He pulled Mercury towards him, forehead clashing against forehead. "You two looked at me like you saw a stranger." He reminded Mercury and Emerald. "Why did you give me that look? What did you see yesterday? Tell me."

Mercury's glare morphed into shock once more. "...You're serious."

"I lost memories, Merc. And it's sure as hell not amnesia!" He chucked Mercury to a wall. "I don't know what they were -just outlines. I have no idea what they mean! No context. No connections. Nothing! And yet, I feel like I've _lost_ something because of it." He explained to his friend. "What I do know is that it felt like I've lived other lives, been to places I haven't, met people that may or may not have existed, fought things beyond the norm of this world." He pushed Mercury into the wall again as if trying to use his friend as a bettering ram. "So I _need_ you to tell me what you saw!"

"...I can't." Mercury said.

"Can't or won't?" Naruto growled.

"Even if I said the truth, you wouldn't understand what happened to you." The friend said, his tone full of pity for Naruto. "The issue at hand was your personality. And you won't believe it because you yourself would admit that you didn't act the way I would have described." Naruto stepped forward, but was stopped by a gesture of the hand. "And before you try to argue your point, the fact remains that you forgot all about what happened yesterday. Your head will spin things around to fit to your self-imposed ideas."

"Example?" Naruto demanded.

"If I told you that you were an angry beast intent on destroying everything in your path, would you believe me that that's how you acted yesterday?" He asked. Naruto stayed silent. "And that's just a hypothetical situation, Naruto." He reiterated to his friend. "You might want to know, but at the same time, you'll deny what you don't think is right."

"I'd believe it." Naruto told to the pair truthfully. "I'd believe if I acted like a beast. I mean I've had years to hear various statements -all insulting- regarding my species. To begin with, I'm the one that caused all the ruckus Sunday night."

Emerald walked in between Naruto and Mercury. "Excuse me?!" She said.

Naruto stared at Emerald. "Like you don't know."

Mercury stepped forward fully intending to defend Emerald's position. "We didn't. We heard you were a victim, not the perpetrator."

Naruto carefully examined his best friends. He watched every blink of their eyes, every twitch of their bodies, and every little shudder caused by the blood that pumped throughout their bodies. His closed his eyes, and scratched his head. "Something tells me you're telling half of the truth." He analyzed. "The truth being that you didn't know to begin with, and the lie being that you didn't know prior to meeting me now." He eyed his friends curiously. A small twitch from the two of them. He surmised it was his cautious glare, but it was a reaction. He pinched the bridge of his nose knowing he wouldn't get any direct answers from him. He had more hope venting out to give him answers than his tight-lipped best buds.

He turned around, headed for another destination. His friends asked where he planned to go.

He answered, "Stress relief. See ya around guys." He gave the two a wave as he continued to walk away. "Don't slack off on the education." He added as an afterthought.

The pair, left alone in the hallways, was silent. Their glances led to mental conversations. Every furrowed eyebrow and grit of the teeth conveyed a message so detailed that morse code was a snail's pace. Eventually, they stopped to sigh. Mercury was the first to verbally say anything. "Well...seems like the Drunk's story made the foundation of the theory. The Hero's legend correlates to the incident Sunday night. Plus strengthens it with how uncanny the description is to the images caught on camera. Naruto's own statements regarding memories...and admittance to being that beast makes the frame."

Emerald nodded. "Yeah. But-"

"-It's bare bones." Mercury supplied. "I agree with you there. But it's better than nothing."

Emerald crossed her arms together. "First the Maidens, then this. What next? The Hero is actually one of the brothers from the "Tale of the Two Brothers?"

Mercury sucked his teeth in. "...I have a feeling you just made things a bit more difficult."

* * *

Lunchtime came, and both teams RWBY and JNPR were at their self-appointed table enjoying their food. Most of them. ...Few of them. From team RWBY, all had some form of worry running through their minds. And following the order of their names, the one with the least worry was Ruby, and the one with the most was Yang. From team JNPR, Jaune had his own worries, stemming from his questions to his father, and about Weiss's own current status. Pyrrha, meanwhile, worried slightly for both Jaune and Naruto; her calm expression failed to show that worry. Only Ren, occupied with Nora's antics, and Nora herself that weren't all that worried.

And the carefree Nora broke that air of worry at the table with a slam of her palm to table. "Up and at 'em, guy and gals! No more moping around!"

There was initial shock as always; however, that didn't last long.

"They can't." Ren said. "They're too preoccupied with whatever's on their mind."

"That's not right. I mean we're all back together! Jaune-Jaune's back! Why not celebrate a little?"

Pyrrha spoke up. "I think it's the fact that one person isn't back to normal, Nora." She sighed. "Team RWBY is clearly worried for him."

"How is he?" Jaune asked without warning.

Ruby twiddled with her thumbs while meekly answering that he was okay. Weiss responded that he could be better. Blake looked down in shame, and stayed silent. Yang...was-

"I don't know how to answer that." She said truthfully.

Jaune leaned forward. "Why do you say that?"

Yang glared at Jaune. "What part of 'I don't know' do you understand?"

Ren clapped his hands together rather forcefully. It garnered the attention of everyone at the table. "I do believe we'll have an easier conversation with less tension if you elaborate on why you find answering Jaune's question difficult rather than answering like you did." He motioned his head to Nora, who made his wording a little easier to understand.

"Just say what you know, and maybe we can help form an answer!" Nora gleefully supplied.

Yang looked to Weiss. "You handle the first part." She told to the Schnee. "You can explain it better."

Weiss looked at her quizzically. "First part? I don't-"

"-The Dust, Weiss." Yang replied snappily.

Weiss understood. However, "Not here." She said. "Too many ears."

The table went quiet after that. Everyone knew -if they haven't already- the seriousness of the topic at hand by that one statement alone. An unofficial decree to clean their trays of food was enacted. Each individual finished their lunch at a reasonable amount of time. When done, they left as a group that headed for team RWBY's room.

* * *

Heavy impacts echoed with explosive quality to them.

* * *

 ** _"That was a really terrible idea."_**

 ** _"Gotta agree. Look at him, he's miserable!"_**

 _"...Misery doesn't look like that. It's something else."_

 ** _"It's frustration, the word you're looking for."_**

 _"That's the word!"_

 ** _"It's also the word that's running through our minds. Well...most of us."_**

 ** _"Well...that's what...about sixty~ sixty-thr no- sixty-four percent of the group thinks."_**

 _"Geez...I'm feeling the love guys."_

 ** _"The poor bastard outside that got locked out of his own memories sure is feeling the love too."_**

 ** _"Ah...don't be a party pooper. He only got locked out of the soul-crushing, world-turning, and identity-crisis kind of memories, mind you kehehehehehe!"_**

 ** _"...You know, guys, he has a point, and_ he's _the crazy one."_**

 _"And I'm saddened by the fact that_ only _the crazy one and you understand my decision."_

 ** _"The rest of us understand. We just don't care about your reason because you screwed up and could have done a better job fixing the problem_ _._ _"_**

* * *

One, two.

' _Remember._ '

One, two.

' _Remember._ '

One, two, three, four, five.

' _Remember!_ '

An explosive punch dug into the punching bag. The force of such a strike nearly sent it off its hinges and almost pierced through its body. The bag, falling back down due to gravity, was punched again with a crushing right hook that transitioned into a smooth, yet bone-crushing left.

A pair of hands grabbed the bag's sides tightly just before a violent headbutt crashed into it not once, not twice, but three times. With a soul-crushing cry, a knee was driven into the punching bag repeatedly. The bottled up frustrations were clearly vented into the worn training equipment. The hold on the punching bag was released in favor of a gatling of punches that rhythmically juggled the bag into each and every punch. The sheer speed and power created a vacuum around him.

 _"_ _Live your life. Don't dwell on an…insignificant past._ "

A step forward. The body twisted. All the corresponding muscles contracted. All the needed energy transferred from point A to point B in one smooth motion. Aura pooled into his fist, and glowed with the intensity equal to the sun. In a flash, a right arm rocketed into the punching bag with enough force to pry it off of its hanging spot and launched it onto the wall, deeply dented by the object. Moreover, the impact of the object hitting the wall was enough to blow it apart. The cover was torn into a thousand pieces and the material inside exploded outwards, covering the immediate area and himself in sand.

* * *

 ** _"Oh goody! He's thinking about what you said!"_**

 ** _"Yup. That's what your mistake was. A terrible move on your part."_**

 ** _"If you didn't talk to him, this wouldn't have happened. You should have thought about this rationally."_**

 _"And I did."_

 ** _"If you did, then you would have realized just locking the memories out while he was asleep was sufficient."_**

 _"I needed to tell him what was going on."_

 ** _"You didn't. You really didn't have to do that."_**

 _"Everyone would just take it as amnesia. No one would be able to tell that there was a difference to him."_

 ** _"No. Ya really screwed up there, punk! Hey, you in the corner! what's your take?!"_**

 _ **"Not my problem. As long as he isn't about to die, I'm not putting my hands anywhere near this."**_

 _"Now that's just mean! Back me up here, pal! What happened to you these past few years?!"_

 ** _"What happened was that this vessel is at peace, and I want him to be at peace. What happened was that an unsightly memory came back and ruined that peace. What happened was that the seal_ you _made with the help of the Yamanaka broke like it was designed to: when too many memory triggers cause full recollection or one_ extremely impressionable _memory_ surged _and_ exploded _out because of a single event. I commend you for trying to mend the problem. But the fact of the matter is... NO ONE IS GOING TO FORGET HIS RAMPAGE. Not just one_ _rampage._ Two. _And what did you force him to do on the second one? Take in Chakra and you_ took control _. It's fine for the most part -until the purging. The purging the intake of Chakra exposed two of his friends to the_ _memories! Now if he doesn't know, his friends will. They will know the vessel isn't who he says he is. You'll get your support from me_ _when this vessel isn't having an identity crisis and punches like a pre-teen Tsunade if she had a tantrum!"_**

 _"..."_

 ** _"..."_**

 ** _"...Now that's a scary thought. Pre-teen Tsunade with a tantrum._** _"_

 _" **You are talking about the time before she discovered her technique of precise control of Chakra along with her strikes right?"**_

 _ **"Now you're just being too hopeful there."**_

 _ **"Getting out of topic over there, you three."**_

 _"Guys?"_

 ** _"..."_**

 _"I think we're in the clear for now. The only thing he's seen was after the cataclysm. Not before."_

 ** _"Yes. None of them have seen our time, the era we knew...intimately. But you do realize it's inevitable that his friends will find out. How long do you think you can hide this from the vessel?"_**

 _"We have time. We just hope there's no more triggers."_

 _ **"Just had to jinx it."**_

 _ **"Remnant's cataclysmic conflicts will start soon because of what you said."**_

 _"Okay, that's enough teasing."_

 _ **"We're not teasing."**_

 ** _"...Having the Devil's luck is one thing, but bringing misfortune so nonchalantly seems to be an acquired skill for you."_**

 _"Eh! All of you guys?! You're all being mean again!"_

* * *

' _It's impossible._ ' The fighter thought. He looked at his hands, shaking faster than a vibrating Scroll. The sand around his form slowly fell to the floor as that shaking spread to the rest of his body. ' _How can you say that I have to forget…when my fists tell me that this body remembers?! When I can still find lingering essences of those memories?!_ ' His hands closed into furious fists. He felt his blood pulsed in his fists as well as the blood that pumped through his head. Each time his blood pulsed, he thought he heard the sound of a fist crushing into flesh. Each time it occured, he slowly fell to the floor while disturbing the sand at his feet.

* * *

 ** _"Oh boy..."_**

 ** _"Instant results. That's a shocker."_**

* * *

He remembered how he moved whenever he fought. Some were his. Some were not. Not once did he ever try to do an Izuna drop on anyone! Not once did he ever try to hit people's pressure points with ridiculous accuracy! Not once was he able to move so fast that he could appear behind the person he launched away! Not once did he ever try to link his Aura to his knives to 'teleport'! Not once did he ever attempt Aura manipulation only to understand what he was trying to do after a few more tries!

He punched the floor, disturbing the sand.

"Why is it the longer I fight...I see things I haven't seen before more and more?!" He growled under his teeth. He slowly stood up whilst staring at the destruction he caused in front of him. The dented wall had the imprint of a fist in the center of a small crater inside the larger dent. "I'm going to find out. Just you wait, voice in my head. I'm gonna find out what you hid from me. You listening?" He whispered to himself.

* * *

 _ **"He hears you loud and clear, kid!"**_

 _ **"If there's one positive about this...it's that his 'Never-give-up' attitude came back."**_

 _"And if there's one negative, it's that his battle instincts are becoming catalysts to the triggers."_

 ** _"Not his fault you gave him tips on how to use some things. Things just spiraled out of control for you."_**

 _"...If that was a pun regarding the Rasengan-"_

 ** _"Lalalalala~"_**

* * *

Naruto heard clapping and whistling behind him. Someone was rather impressed. "Wow. Look's like your sparring partner bit the dust." A female voice said that. That same voice snickered lightly. "I have to say that was mighty satisfying to look at. Don't you think so, guys?"

"Raw power in those punches. Nothing augmented. Very impressive." Someone said in a low volume, almost a mutter.

"Can we just leave him alone? He looks like he needs the space."

"I agree. Emotions in turmoil are not one to be trifled with. Moreso if that emotion can be channeled into the attacks. Commendable effort by the way, infamous 'Warrior Janitor'."

Naruto turned around to see team CFVY, one of Beacon's popular second-year teams. He recognized them since the team was one of the teams from all the years combined to be used as models that others teams can emulate to be like. "I appreciate the compliments, but that was just random punching. I was only venting anger and frustration out." He said what he felt was right about his actions to the punching bag. "Nothing special." He said.

The leader of team CFVY waggled her left index finger. "We can clearly see you were venting out. But I disagree on you randomly punching, my spiky-haired friend. My foxy friend to my right disagrees with you. She may not look it, but my bestie here disagrees with you. And the big guy knows you're just being overly modest."

"You're putting me on a high pedestal for nothing." Naruto said. He insisted his strikes weren't noteworthy aside from the power backed behind them.

Fox spoke. "Your last set with the bag started with a heavy counter punch. Disabling." He said as he put his hands up as if ready for a fight. A swift set of jabs flew in the same rhythm Naruto made earlier. "A set of jabs were given to measure the level of disorientation." The heavy punch to the ribs crushed air. He stepped back satisfied that he mimicked Naruto's first moves of the last set. "Then a fierce body blow to cripple recovery. Right hook to left kept the opponent from being stable. You grab the opponent, and smash your head repeatedly against his to keep the opponent disabled. Your knee drove all the air out of your opponent." Fox's knee rocketed up several times with alarming speed. "Then your gatling set of punches focused on the median of your opponent. In order, you drove it first to the liver, the spleen, the lungs, the sternum, intestines, clavicles, and neck. The final blow headed for the sternum again, but this time, you crushed the Aura shielding. You might have effectively crushed your opponent's heart from the blow."

Coco frowned. "Did you have to add that last part?"

Fox nodded. "One of his punches would have taken a tenth of the Aura bar."

Yatsuhashi interjected, "And as such, if Naruto had his momentum, the fight would be over in a flash. And depending on the person, they could have died."

Naruto wanted to object. But Coco wanted to interrupt the next round of modesty. "Your punches, as Fox and Yatsuhashi said, could have killed a Huntsman. I agree, reluctantly." She said truthfully. "Your raw power is fearsome. And your mind is quite calculative as explained by Fox." She walked up to Naruto, and playfully punched Naruto's chest. "You, my friend, are a fighter in heart and soul, not a Huntsman." She perked up. "And as a fighter, I'd like you to spar with my dear friend Velvet!"

The would-be sparring partners looked alarmed at the declaration. Velvet was the more vocal one of the two. "Coco!" She shouted as if the call of her leader's name was enough to deter the fashionista from going through with the idea.

"Why not, Vel?" Coco asked. "He's quite a hitter. You could learn a thing or two."

"If you call disjointed arms or legs 'learning,' then I'm plenty sure I'll learn a lot." Velvet fired back.

"If you learned anything from your old man, I'm sure it was that you knew where your openings were and how to exploit them." Coco suggested with a waggle of her eyebrows.

Naruto's eyes widened for a brief moment. The way Coco described the fighting style of Velvet's father...

"No." Velvet said flatly. "I'm not using that. Dad would berate me for using that."

"And you using a scythe, a minigun, a warhammer, or any other weapon any better?" Coco countered.

"..." Velvet had almost reached a level of anger to give a much needed glare to her friend. But she didn't have the heart to do that. She lowered her head, and sighed deeply; she resigned herself to her leader's whims again.

"That's one surrender. I just need yours, friend." Coco said. She badgered Naruto to fight. It was quite annoying; his rapidly-twitching left eyelid spoke volumes of how much he endured from Coco's pestering. "C'mon. It's only a spar. Whaddaya say?"

"I say that this reminds me of the first time I was persuaded to fight." Naruto replied grumpily. "Had to fight my boss, an ex-mercenary supposedly." He caught movement in the corner of his right eye; Velvet's ears. He also thought he heard her squeak. He looked to the rest of team CFVY. Fox and Yatsuhashi deemed the wall behind Naruto far more interesting than the conversation. Meanwhile, Coco gave an impish smirk as her head ever so slightly tilted Velvet's way.

Naruto connected the dots.

Coco asked again. "Whaddaya say?"

Naruto looked at Velvet. "You two are nothing alike." He said monotonously.

"You'd be surprised. Last I heard, he went easy on you." Velvet said.

"Very much so." Naruto nodded in agreement. "It took a while, but I understood that nobody in the whole of Remnant can have a profession that needed combat knowledge and not have Aura to boot. A near impossibility."

"The lie is faulty." Velvet sighed. "But as I said, if he went even a slightest bit serious on you, you'd see the similarities between us."

Naruto crossed his arms. "In fighting style. Not in personality. You two are leagues apart in that department."

"Ey...lovebirds. Spar or no?" Coco asked again in a grumble; she didn't take being ignored well.

"I have a girlfriend." Naruto said factually.

Coco raised an eyebrow. "Have you heard some of the gossip in this campus?"

Naruto looked away, not bothering to answer that question. "Look, regarding your idea, you can stop asking, Miss Adel. I'll fight Miss Scarlatina. If only to find out what she means by being alike to Boss."

"Perfect!"

 _ **And that's that for this chapter. Once again, I hope you enjoyed. Though I don't really know if I've made any substantial advances in plot. Advances yes, but the main plot points are being tip-toed around again. I don't know if I'm being overly patient or a snail to ending this arc. Eh...I'm not going to worry too much about it.**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don't care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


	44. A Simple Trigger

_**Oh man. My gosh this delay. Apologies to the lot of you waiting for this. Job hunting took priority instead of Fanfiction. But hey, better late than never, right? So here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy.**_

Disclaimer: first chapter

Chapter 40: A Simple Trigger

"Good evening, Headmaster."

"And a good evening to you as well, young man." The Headmaster stood up, and moved away the papers off to the side of his desk. "How may I be of service to you this evening?" He asked as he shuffled his work neatly. "I don't suppose you're here for something small if you've come to me."

"I must ask. Have you ever read the Tome of Beginning?"

Ozpin nodded. "I have. And I am the owner of two copies of it."

"Two?" Ren questioned. "Impossible. There should only be one per child as was the given rule by the ancestors."

"It…it was my brother's. On his deathbed, he requested for me to have it since…he had no child to give it to." He admitted hesitantly. "I keep a copy in my desk, the other, in the library you and your friends use." He fixed the position of his spectacles on the bridge of his nose and leaned forward on his desk. "Since you asked about the Tome, am I right to assume that you're here in question of the one who bears the Hero's name?" The cryptic question wasn't lost to the young man; he stepped forward with unease showing in his slightly shaky posture.

"Have you seen the news lately, Headmaster?" The young man asked.

The response was swift. "Of course, young Ren. I'd be an ignorant fool not to see it. That and it would be irresponsible for a man of my standing to not keep up with current events." A small chuckle escaped the man's mouth. He finished organizing his papers, and properly looked at the student. "Regarding the news…what do you make of it?" He asked while his left hand pressed a button the opened a panel on top of the desk to reveal a large book. "I'd like to hear your interpretation as a fellow individual tied to the Tome."

Ren shuffled backwards uneasily. "He's slowly unraveling himself. That is not a good sign, Headmaster." A bead of sweat ran down his temples. "I…I fear my mother's words were right; that it's true down to the last detail. And that the elegy is not merely a piece of fiction, but rather a promise." He confessed. "He's shown aspects of the Hero. Not in personality, but rather in his martial aspects. At first I thought it was merely a tale of false hope. But seeing events unfolded in these circumstances…" He trailed off, fully aware that the Headmaster observed the changes in the janitor. "First was the evolution of his fighting style. It's been refined, but still brutish. Next, the infamous Rasengan the Hero utilized, is now in the form of an Aura technique. And according to Blake Belladonna of team RWBY, he might have displayed the skill to imitate his old friends' moves. Last Sunday, the Nine-Tails' cloak emerged along with the Lunar eclipse. The raw power exuded…I fear that's merely a fraction of it. That and the reemergence of his King persona…" He gulped. "I fear he is a reincarnation as Blake surmised."

Ozpin nodded as he crossed his arms. "Indeed, he's unraveling himself." Ozpin was calm when he said that. "I've observed the same incidents and have hypothesized the same. By what we see outwardly, he displays the physical features of the Hero. But…"

"But?"

"We have yet to see him bear the Hero's mentality." Ozpin explained. "As far as I am concerned…our janitor is not the Hero we revere and fear at the same time. He is not Naruto, the Hero. He merely has the strength -a fraction of it. The mind is another matter."

"And what of Sunday's incident? What of last night's incident? Is that not a sign of the return of a dangerous part of his mentality? One of ruthlessness to those that invoked his wrath?" Ren asked the Headmaster. His words dripped with fearful concern. "We both know how rage affects the Hero! The two incidents caused a rise in Naruto's rage, and thus displayed power expected of the Hero."

"Indeed that happened." Ozpin agreed. "But I cannot say for sure that the young man is-"

Ren stomped his way to the Headmaster's desk to slam his palms on it. "He's getting stronger with every fight, Headmaster! Faster, wiser, trickier, _better_ than the previous fight. You may not take caution now, but sooner or later, the memories _will_ come. What then?" Ren challenged boldly. It was only because he and Ozpin knew the potential Naruto's potential, that he dared to disrespect his elder. "You want to wait, I presume? It'll be too late by then."

"His current memories will restrain him from acting too rashly." Ozpin said.

"Are you sure?" Ren questioned. "Because I am not. Not when I saw that destruction from afar, and still felt the chaotic presence he exuded."

"And on the other hand, I myself am positive, young man." Ozpin replied.

Red's eyes narrowed to a suspicious squint. "May I ask why you are sure? How are you this confident in him?"

Ozpin sat down on his desk. "Because he has his friends." He replied confidently.

Ren flinched. _Friends_. The word the Hero valued. Ren took a deep breath. He now saw the thought process of the Headmaster. The Headmaster thought that no matter how lost the Hero's reincarnation, the thought of his friends will return him to normal. Ren stepped back, away from the Headmaster and his desk. Ren shook his head as he said, "Very well, Headmaster. But know this, there will come a time…that you will need to do something."

"I'm well aware." Ozpin answered softly. "I've lived long enough. Made choices both good and bad. Bountiful and terrible." He sighed. "I'm no stranger to choices."

"Even so…take heed from the words of one relative to another." Ren spoke calmly, his composure more relaxed than moments before. Ren spoke from the heart, where an anchored memory lay hidden. He said, "Sometimes the worst action to take, is taking no action at all." He bowed to the Headmaster, and left his office without another word.

Ozpin sat back on his chair, and eyed his copy of the Tome. He whispered, "Only a matter of time…"

A matter of time.

Ozpin recounted the personas Naruto the janitor wore.

The most glaring, the Beast. The next, the King. These two were alarming. The former showed no care for the surroundings. The latter was known to cleave into the earth to stop the spread of negativity. _Calamities_ caused by an individual. But there was one other persona that Ozpin feared.

The persona of the Hero himself.

The Beast contained the mindless power and destruction. The King contained the conscience and the experience. Either one was dangerous in their own right. Either one beckoned the presence of the Creatures of Grimm.

The Hero however was the worst offender. He had both the power and the conscience. But he was a willful man too stubborn in his ways. Ever straightforward. Never straying. Because of it, he beckoned all of the Grimm to him with his anger, frustration, and wanton bloodlust for the creatures' corruption of his only friends. That plethora of negative emotions, one that started off as a spark became a raging inferno that translated into a massacre worth millions of Grimm with little to no progress in their extinction.

Ozpin wanted the Hero to return. But not in the circumstances portrayed in the Tome. The Hero was as destructive as those he fought against. He was a calamity in his own right. And if the forces that conspire to destroy or uproot the peace this world were to strike a nerve _just_ right, there might be…

A Calamity Trigger.

* * *

"…You're saying Naruto's the reincarnation of the Hero?" Jaune asked to make sure what he heard was correct.

"That's the theory." Ruby said to clarify. The little sister looked to her sibling. "Yang…you and Weiss have anything to say about this?" The question wasn't answered immediately. The one who bore the silver eyes carefully watched her teammate and sister take glances at each other for a few moments.

Weiss sighed before she gave everyone a confident and calm look. She said, "We think that Blake's theory has merit." The answer shocked everyone, especially Blake. The room went wild in a controlled uproar. Weiss easily silenced them. "We understand you sound surprised. I've heard that Yang vehemently denied the theory." Weiss cleared her throat. "But Yang and I have seen things." Her eyes scanned the facial expressions on all of the people currently in the room. "It's safe to say that Yang told Pyrrha since she's being rather quiet about this." The attention was directed at Pyrrha almost immediately. Pyrrha did her best not to look so startled, but synchronized stares were a bit much for her. Weiss continued. "But regarding our current position on Blake's theory, it's all thanks to what happened last night."

Curious, Ruby asked, "Was it about the Dust thing that Yang mentioned at the table?"

"Yes, Ruby." Weiss answered. "The particulars are confusing, so I'll simplify it as best as I can." She took a deep breath as if to prepare herself for a backlash due to her next choice of words. "Naruto…purged Dust from his body." Out of the corners of her eyes, she saw movements, and put her hand up to signal that she wasn't done. "That Dust wasn't anything like the Dust we use everyday of our lives. This one was raw power. Not even a single elemental affinity to go along with it. But the fact remained that when Yang and I activated that Dust, we were blown away."

Ren spoke up. "But there's more to it than that. Something happened in the short duration in between activating and releasing the power of that Dust." Ren said it more as a statement rather than a question.

"We saw memories." Weiss bluntly put it.

"Memories? Are you sure that's what you saw?" Blake stood up, and ran in front of Weiss. She grabbed her teammate's shoulders. "How can you be sure?!"

Weiss calmly placed her hands above Blake's. "The first few memories…told us that he was at death's door, leaving a family behind." Blake stepped back. The others were left silent. "Now I'm sure Naruto is old enough to start a family, but it's not really…encouraged. It's also not encouraged to have multiple partners to be wives." The silence remained. "The next set was that of him facing armies. Five whole sets of armies." She adjusted her seating position on her bed before continuing. "I did some research, and found that event wasn't made up; the event was known as 'The Divide'. I'll make it short: 'The Divide' was a one-sided massacre done by the first and only King of Vale -meant to stop five Kingdoms from desecrating his lands with Grimm and perpetual cycle of death and misery."

Nora took her chance to interrupt. Loudly. "You mean to say Naruto was a King?! And he was a juggernaut? That's fantastic! Next time I see him" Ren held her right shoulder, and plopped her down to sit on the bed once more. He looked at his partner and friend with a knowing stare. She returned that stare with a small nod.

Blake was the one of team RWBY that read the farthest into the Tome of Beginning. But she had yet to read further past the betrayal of the Uchiha. Ren and Nora finished the Tome as children; they knew the Hero never left Humanity alone after he made Dust. He took on other lives. He took on the role of a King. He took on the role of the Wizard in the story of the Four Seasons.

Vale's King. Wizard. One man apocalypse. He was that and more.

A stray memory lingered in Ren's mind. _"_ _Mama? Did the Hero do all the things that were written in the Tome?_ _"_

" _Yes, dear. He did all those things. If he didn_ _'_ _t, he wouldn_ _'_ _t be called the_ _'_ _Hero_ _'_ _for nothing, right?_ _"_

" _But_ _…_ _he did a lot of terrible things._ _"_

" _He hurt the earth. He killed many people. But it was for the benefit of everyone else. I_ _'_ _m sure that when the time comes, he will do it again to save the people he cares about._ _"_

" _Then_ _…_ _will the Hero really come back?_ _"_

" _He will. The Hero always fulfilled his promises. And the last page was a promise._ _"_

Ren's posture became less rigid upon remembering his mother and about the Hero. Hearing Weiss talk about the King of Vale interested him. To hear their perspective was a fresh experience. The Tome spoke about his time as King. Though that piece…and a few others were left hidden away from the public eye.

It would be a conundrum if the whole world knew the fact that some of the world's important events and stories were done by one pseudo-immortal.

It was secret only of the Hero's blood -of the Observer's blood- and for the trusted few were fit to know until others solved the puzzle that was the Hero. Nora was one of the lucky few to be trusted with the information.

To the rest, the sections were written in an unrecognizable language. And no one dared to translate for those curious to the contents.

So…In order to find out what else Weiss and Yang knew, Ren needed to spur them on. "…I hardly see how this is connected to Blake's theory." Ren spoke calmly. "It doesn't link it to him." He wanted to believe Weiss and Yang. They were at the cusp of finding the truth. Most of what was said just now…was about the life the Hero lived after the cataclysm. They were so close. Heck, he wanted to tell Blake's ideas weren't garbage the moment she connected the dots -even if they were coincidental. But he needed concrete evidence, not coincidental nor circumstantial ones.

"I agree with Ren." Jaune spoke. "Get to the point." He said as neutral as possible. "It's not helping Blake's position on the matter."

Yang did her best to quell her rising temper. "Look!" She said in a mildly harsh tone. "You want a link? Weiss saw Naruto absorb Dust into his body like water and salt mixed in. Then he appeared to change his attire and personality into someone else's: the King she mentioned!"

Jaune looked suspicious. "When did this happen? What caused him to need to absorb Dust?"

Weiss responded, "Yesterday, Naruto's best friends and another individual came to his room. I myself don't know what happened, but what I did see was that unknown individual pinned to the wall by Naruto, who held her by the throat. He almost tried to burn her to a crisp, but instead chucked her out the window." She paused. "Jaune…did you take notice to the condition of the Hospital equipment?"

Jaune crossed his arms. "You mean when the nurses said that some of the lights in some floors and other medical equipment seemingly lost power?" His eyes narrowed as he understood the link. "Naruto was the cause of that?"

Weiss took charge of the conversation. "I'm not exaggerating about this. Naruto's Aura appeared to resonate with the Dust he absorbed, and became cloth-like around him." Weiss grabbed a book behind her, the one Dr. Oobleck gave her to continue her search for answers. She turned the first few pages, and found a colored picture of an ancient painting of the King. She stood up from her seat on her bed to show the others. They crowded around the book.

"Ooh!" Nora awed at the picture. "Look at all that bright yellow-orange! Knight of the Sun indeed!" She grinned from ear to ear. "Me impressed. Hey, hey Ren…what do you think? Didn't we see the news last night? Doesn't he look like this guy?"

Ren nodded silently. He recalled the news of last night. This picture certainly alarmed him; Blake was right from the start, and everyone else was catching up to support her theory. His eyes carefully scanning the picture. "Yes. But what caused the incident?" He asked Weiss.

Weiss explained, "Naruto, for whatever reason, was angered by the unknown individual's presence. But what I could make out from his shouts that the individual did something terrible to someone he cared for."

"And that is…?" Ren questioned.

Weiss slowly looked at Yang. Inwardly, she feared her teammate's reaction to this; she never told Yang what she heard about the incident. She only told Yang that Naruto went ballistic and that she saw him absorb Dust. She gulped. "I heard Naruto shout, 'What did you do to Fall? What did you do to my…wife's soul?'"

Nothing was said for the first couple of minutes.

Weiss for sure thought that everyone shut down for a moment. Yang especially. So she uneasily said, "I-I understand if any of you are alarmed by what he said, but make no mistake something was off about him that time." She retrieved the book and let everyone process what she said.

Who spoke next surprised everyone. "So yeah, you hear that?" Yang asked. "There's something going on. Something off about him!" Yang fought back tears that welled up in her eyes. Her heart nearly broke; just when she had Naruto back, this was dumped on her. She knew more than she wanted. "That revenge-driven anger is not him… That woman he mentioned…has to be someone from a past life! Last night, we saw Dust get purged out of his body like it was a parasite that needed to get out of his system." She drove a fist to her knee. "I ask again, you want a link? That very Dust showed memories. Memories dammit! How can you be so dense to not understand the implications?!" Her eyes flared red as she stared at the reluctant naysayers. "If what Weiss said wasn't enough…then what about one of the last things we saw!"

"Yang…"

"NO!" She shouted as she stood up from her spot on Weiss's bed. "The Legend of the Hero states that he fought them right? That he fought the Nine Legendary Grimm? We saw him fight the so-called _Legendary Grimm_. From _Nine_ counting down to _One_. He _did_ that under the light of a bloody, broken moon just like Sunday night! They were flashes, but I- we _felt_ the anguish he felt fighting them. We _felt_ the rage. We felt his desire to save them. So don't go telling that there's no link to the memories. Don't deny us this fact!" Yang shouted a little louder. "You have to see that Naruto is _something_!"

"And what is that something, Yang?" Ren questioned, full knowing what the answer was.

The question was expected in Yang's perspective. But it hurt Yang nonetheless to admit the answer to that very question. "That Naruto is anything _but_ a simple janitor."

Then came the small tremor and explosion that the whole campus felt.

All eyes turned to the second year building, where they heard the explosion.

* * *

Naruto skidded backwards to a stop after a heavy blow to his chest. The impact was surprising. He thought it was about as equal in power to Yang's punches. His eyes refocused to the view of the floor when he saw something move at the top corner of his eyes. That view was suddenly changed to the view of the ceiling. What was a momentary sensation of pain to his chin was moved to his chest as two consecutive blows pushed him back onto the floor rolling.

He clawed the floor, dug the front end of the soles of his shoes into the floor and took the stance of a beast ready to pounce. His eyes burned molten orange as his palms and his feet ignited in that red orange flames. His ears overheard the crackling sounds his flames made to the material that was in the process of burning into a near molten mush underneath him. Just then he heard a whistle of something cutting through the air. Naruto pushed his Aura towards his palms to push himself backwards a tad.

He looked at a sword. A wireframe outline of one. But a sword nonetheless. He heard another whistle, then another. He moved his head a tad to the left, then lowered his profile into a near prone position. Two more swords stabbed the floor just behind him. His eyes looked back to his target, who chucked another one-

But one with the length of a bus and the thickness of a refrigerator.

"Are you kidding me?!" Naruto shouted as he charged forward, moving slightly to his right. He marginally evaded the projectile. His left gauntlet acted as a guard as the sword scraped past him. A blast of Aura erupted from his left palm, pushing the projectile away like nothing. The image of the titanic sword dissolved into pixels.

Velvet desired a weapon with a bigger impact, and reached for it with her mind and Aura. Her left arm was in front of her chest in a grasping position while her other arm was outstretched forward. Lines of Dust seeped out of the box behind Velvet and made the necessary silhouette to make the weapon's form. It was an elongated, rectangular form that appeared to have no end to it. But not only that, the frame of the weapon stretched to the back in the form of a cylindrical canister strapped to a stock similar to that of modern guns.

Off in the stands, Team CF(V)Y and a few stragglers watched with awe and fear.

"Hey, hey…Velvet's taking this a _bit_ too seriously." Coco remarked with a bit of concern for her partner and the opponent he partner faced. She had to take her sunglasses off to see she wasn't seeing things. "That's too much, Velv." She looked to her teammates. "Any idea why she's doing this?"

"None." Both young men replied.

"Wonderful…" Coco said blandly as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "May that janitor's soul rest in peace."

"You think highly of Atlesian guns, Coco." Yatsuhashi spoke calmly. "Not every firearm they make is a force to be reckoned with."

Coco looked to her titanic teammate. "Look at the heat that's packing!" She shouted. "I don't even know where she got a picture of that!"

"It matters not." The rest of CFVY looked to Fox. Fox, who crossed his arms while watching the battle, said, "The janitor looks like he hasn't wasted no less than ten percent of his Aura according to the system." He laughed inwardly. "Compare that to Velvet's fourth of Aura lost, the janitor has more to offer if he decides to do something about Velvet's new weapon."

"But-"

"Coco…you, Fox, Velvet, and I know what the rumors and various media sources presented the janitor as." Yatsuhashi reminded the team leader.

The leader stood there watching the imminent clash wondering if her fears were correct or if her teammates' faith in the janitor was well-placed.

Naruto didn't react outwardly. He just let his arms and legs ignite with his Aura. The fire around him glowed brighter than ever, turning into a red hue as well, and sported sparks of red lightning to add to the flashiness of it all. At this point, his body was on autopilot. His mind was being fed information on how to survive. His body did what it needed to use his Semblance. His soul was at relative ease. A spiritual burden lifted.

He felt like he was at the right place at the right time. He felt that he belonged in the fight despite how much he wanted to deny it. His _soul_ was meant to fight.

The pattern went that the more he fought, the more he saw things. The more he remembered. Case in point, that sphere of Aura, those weird palm strikes, that Izuna drop he thought Lee did (but never actually saw) were done in times of fighting. And just as planned, he saw things. Things that helped for the current situation.

His mind was fed the memory of an old man covered in lightning as if it was an armor; his body emulated the technique.

He ran towards Velvet with a spring in his step.

But it was hardly a step. It was a leap. And add in the power and speed from that one step…

Velvet was in a bit of a bind. She knew it the moment his body flashed towards her. Whatever natural advantage she had over Naruto was gone in an instant. She may have the better hearing, but the crackle of lightning drowned the other sounds. She may have had the stronger legs, but he was faster than her in this one instance. She may have a move that she learned over the years to counter this, but she was reminded of a lesson from her father.

" _A little brute force can overcome skill just like how underhanded tactics may lead to success. All it takes is someone doing something a little differently to change the pace of battle._ _"_

As she remembered, she smiled. Not a mischievous grin. But a soft smile.

" _And that is why, not matter how open you present yourself to be as, keep your guard up._ _"_

So when Naruto appeared before her as a sphere of red fire and lightning, she aimed her cannon at him with the intent of unloading the Dust infused in its form. She pulled the trigger, and the pulsing blinding sky blue trail of energy clashed against the ball of flame and electricity. But instead of piercing through, the attack bent around it like water going around a rock. And while it was parted by Naruto, the energy dissipated not too long after making contact with Naruto's defensive attack. In fact, it was so effective that there wasn't a sign that Velvet's attack had stalled him. He just _forced_ his way through.

So in accordance to the situation, she dissolved her weapon to reach for something else. The Dust stored in her box morphed once more as it manifested in front of her. It took the shape of a giant cross with a disc placed at the intersection of the structure. Velvet placed her right arm on the handle right in the middle of the disc while her other hand rested below to brace the lower half of the structure.

Upon closer inspection, one could see that what Velvet brought out was a shield. A shield that towered over her. A shield the size of Yatsuhashi. A shield that her father boasted could handle many blows.

The situation almost harkened back to the day her father fought a deadly fisherman, whose method of fishing was to use a red spear. The story was all to familiar. Brute force versus skill. Brute force won.

But she'd attempt to change that outcome this time.

The moment Naruto's flames made contact with the shield, the shield dispersed without any resistance. Velvet leaped backwards to let the lion Faunus land like a candle blown out. What she didn't expect was an attack immediately after. One of his knives came at her, and she caught it. She immediately regretted the decision the moment she heard the screech of rubber sliding on the floor just a few feet away from her. Even worse was the sound emitted soon after the saw blades on his footwear spun into the hard material that made the floor.

Velvet was stunned. Disoriented. Keeled over. It was like she was standing next to an Atlesian airship taking off. Her ears hardly found the sound pleasant. But despite her exposed form, she had her defenses ready. She knew where her opponent would strike next. There was only so much a fighter could change up until he or she became predictable.

So when Naruto arced his kicking foot upwards to Velvet's chin, the latter hopped backwards a tad. She called to her weapon to reach out for a particular weapon that wrapped around her forearms and hands. And as it manifested, she morphed her Aura into a sphere. After years of toying with her Semblance, Aura manipulation was an easy task for her. Done manifesting, the wire frame version of Naruto's own gauntlets purged a piece of Velvet's Aura out of the thruster to launch the Aura attack straight into Naruto's stomach.

But that didn't happen. All because he disappeared in a flash. He reappeared just behind her with his raised leg still holding. The saw blades spun faster as it ignited flames at each tooth. Incited by the activation of dust in the core mechanism hidden in the motor attached to the saw blades, the piercing shrieks from the metal hindered any foreseeable movement from Velvet. Naruto looked behind him, twisted his body, and swung his leg down like an axe with all of the force necessary to smash his opponent into the ground.

Velvet, her left hand still holding one of Naruto's knives, chucked it at his head. The sudden attack forced him to redirect his kick to block the knife. His foot slammed onto the floor, and cracked underneath his feet. The flames he let out turned into a pillar that covered the point of impact. It was time for her counterattack. She spun herself around using her pivot foot and increased the power of the Aura attack. She thrusted her attack through the fan of flames with no hesitation.

She expected a direct hit. The reality was much different. The flames blew away to show the result of her offensive action. Her attack clashed with the original made by the one who invented it. Gusts of air blew at a myriad of angles. They twisted, carved, slashed, cleaved all around the epicenter of the chaos. Her hair blew back wildly while she tried to protect herself from the harsh winds. As she did, she looked at Naruto, unfazed by the storm right before his very eyes.

Like he was used to a clash of power…

Naruto knew he felt a natural ease under this situation. He felt content expressing his power in a battle of will. He felt the wind blow by him, and found a strange sense of peace to it. He pushed forward; she pushed back. He smiled. A stalemate. Equal powers fighting for dominance.

It felt nostalgic despite this being the first time it ever occurred.

He almost thought he heard the chirping of a thousand birds too.

The clash ended in a violent explosion of air and flames. Any dust that was resting on any surface was blown away within seconds of the explosion. Spectators were forced to cover their faces from the sudden gale. But the winner of the trade was Naruto, whose own feet grounded him. His right hand was sent backwards like a hand the flew away from the recoil of a hand cannon. Velvet was blown away like a tumbleweed in Vacuo's vast desert.

She recovered. It was graceful as one might expect from a trained fighter, but she did so nonetheless. A moment of reprieve was given. He didn't chase after her like any practical fighter would do to keep the pressure on. He just stood there watching her. He stood there waiting for her next move. It allowed the rabbit Faunus to gauge herself against her opponent. She glanced at the screen above. She was at the sixty-three percent mark of Aura depletion. Her opponent however was at the twenty-seven percent mark. The gap between them was too large, and her attempts to close that gap only gamble the rest of her Aura.

Whatever Naruto did to pack so much power without so much as a trickle of Aura lost scared Velvet.

As far as she knew, that spiraling sphere was a suicide move -a last ditch effort to annihilate the enemy with the last of your strength. His weapon and that attack were supposed to be Aura guzzlers! But he just made it seem like it was one of the many tricks up his sleeve.

' _The means to counter long-range and the strength to overpower it_ _…_ _Not to mention a powerhouse within his effective range. A battle of attrition against him is ill advised._ ' She bit her thumb, unsure of what to do next. She never expected to be pushed to use her trump cards in the middle of battle. Well... She had to rethink that. The choice to use them was more voluntary than a necessity. She wanted to beat him. He desired a challenge; she did as well despite her reserved personality. For that, she respected him; he gave her an outlet as well as a means to test her limits. This was an enlightening experience for her that her skills with weapons she copied weren't up to par -because he could dismantle them in an instant if he so wished.

She wasn't stupid. When the fire became red, the properties changed. No longer did it give away heat. But it give way to something else. Something that could negate or repel Dust.

She dusted herself off, and stood up straight. She took a breath to calm herself. Her only option left was to battle him in his element: close combat. Her eyes locked with his. In her opinion, between her determined expression and his blank visage, the latter appeared more composed.

She took off. He did the same time she did. The two ran faster than any human; their powerful steps were heard by everyone in the stands. Velvet's were a speeding metronome; she gradually accelerated to top speed as her steps became more and more frequent. Naruto's were dissonant screeches; his saw blades whirred to life with each step like a car being revved up. The distance between them drastically decreased within seconds.

When Velvet came close, she leapt towards him while she spun backwards. Her forward momentum carried her as Naruto ducked to evade her legs. But it was the plan all along. She wanted to get to his exposed back. She twisted her body in midair, and conjured up a weapon. A blade as massive as Yatsuhashi, but lacked the elegance of her teammate's weapon. The frame of the weapon certainly looked the part of a sword, but its jagged and coarsely-made serrated edges begged to differ. A chunk of rock carved into the shape of a melee weapon if anything. But the power of the weapon her father described was undeniable. The weapon in her hands was weightless; Dust given form to something else. What would have been unwieldy to anyone suited her just fine.

She slammed the sword down on Naruto's back, but he turned around in time to block it with one of his gauntlets, and push it aside. But because of the weightlessness of the weapon, she simply swung it back at his head. He ducked. She swung it down at his legs, but he hopped over it. Velvet twirled the sword to stab it into the ground. Using her arm strength, she pushed herself away from effective close combat range. Right as she landed, she swung the blade in an uppercut motion, carving the ground. The dust and debris were launched at Naruto, who cared little about it. He just swatted the sword away with the red flame, and made Velvet's weapon dust in the wind.

' _There it is again... Changing properties._ ' She charged forward with a new weapon, a lance in tow. It clashed against Naruto's gauntlets; the red flames were gone. Velvet instantly took the opportunity to launch as many critical blows at him. Her speed with the lance was special. A single thrust by an experienced spear/wo/man was three or four in Velvet's case. She poured all of her strength into her arms and legs in an attempt to beat him with speed. She was confident in that speed of hers, and aimed centrally multiple times.

And there laid the problem.

Naruto never saw the spear. It was too quick for his liking. His eyes may have adjusted a little to see the form of the spear from the short experience, but to know where the next attack was, he just looked at her hands. The position of each hand determined the aim. He used that knowledge to parry, evade, distance, and to counter Velvet's barrage. Her flurry of strikes were fearsome, but rather ineffective in terms of achieving victory over him. Instead, it was effective in keeping him at bay, never allowing him the range to punch her. He couldn't even snap a proximity explosion with how much pressure Velvet did. He was on defense trying to find her openings, which were glaring, but unable to reach them.

Velvet aimed for his head, and that's when he made his counter attack. He moved his head to the left as his left hand, coated in watery blue flames pushed the Dust spear aside. He charged forward as his left hand dragged across the spear. The flames burned the Dust in a way Velvet nor Naruto ever imagined. The Dust spear dissolved into unachieved Dust powder as Naruto's left hand became a hammering fist that pounded against Velvet's chest. She staggered backwards while Naruto followed up with a fist directed at her gut. This was the finishing blow.

Velvet regained her footing, and spun to Naruto's left to marginally evade his powerful punch. She used her momentum and called out a familiar weapon that Naruto knew by heart. The two-layered gauntlet manifested just before Velvet put her weight into the punch. There was a sickening impact that sent Naruto's head back. He flipped backwards easily as if he wasn't hit by it. Velvet drew the frame of Magnhild, and dropped it on Naruto's lowered form. The impact created a small shockwave of air.

All the while, Naruto grinned. Finally understanding Velvet's similarity to his boss, he internally praised the Rabbit Faunus. ' _Devious. Risky. But worth when done correctly._ ' He thought as Velvet pinned him down with Nora's hammer held above his head by his hands. ' _Unlike him, you're inexperienced. Your gamble is lost under attacked under pressure._ ' He hummed. ' _Keep the pressure going, Naruto._ _Do it, and do it as unpredictably as possible!_ ' After the self-targeted pep talk, his form was engulfed in misty indigo flames.

Velvet pulled back the weapon, and studied this new development cautiously. She circled Naruto, hidden inside that indigo bonfire. A new color. She was confused what this one's ability was. From what she saw before, orange produced heat and propulsion, red disintegrated Dust, blue deactivated Dust. ' _What did this one do?_ ' Just as she asked this, a fist came out of the flame. And like clockwork, Velvet evaded and countered with a wide swing of the hammer. The flames were dispersed with no one hidden inside. Confused, she swung again when another misty flame approached her with a fist leading the charge. The result ended with a lack of impact.

Her ears twitched when she heard the screech of a saw blade to her right.

"Velvet! Watch your right!" Coco shouted from the stands.

Velvet was already alert from the noise. But the main problem was that she only heard him, not saw him. He was invisible to her. So when the moment of truth came, Velvet was struck on her right cheek with the heel of one of Naruto's shoes. The attack spun her in place.

"Keep the pressure." She heard him chant.

Another kick was sent to the same spot at a faster pace.

"Keep it up!" He shouted to himself. He threw one of his knives at her to which Velvet responded by batting it upward. He expected this, and instantly countered by grabbing hold of Velvet's face with a golden hand. He lifted her up only to slam her down onto the floor. She bounced a little, so Naruto took the advantage to lift her up by one of his legs then smash a fist into her exposed abdomen. The punch launched her skywards, ascending towards the ceiling at speeds similar to what Ruby took when she used her Semblance.

Naruto looked up at Velvet's silhouette. But something was different. He looked like he was watching through a television.

 _ **"Bravo, bravo! You are making fine entertainment, boy. My, my...what a curious case you are."** _ A voice reverberated into the void. It asked, **_"How goes your search for answers? Are the experiences you see to your liking? You want more of those answers?"_** Naruto searched for the owner of the voice. But he couldn't see through the darkness no matter how hard he tried. _**"You won't find the answers by whining, as you suspected. What you need to do is to reach for it!"** _

"And what do you think I've been trying to do?!" Naruto shouted at the voice. "I've been forced to beat myself up to see visions from memories that I know I'm not supposed to have!"

 ** _"You really think that?"_** Another voice asked.

 ** _"Foolish._ _"_** Remarked a third voice.

"Why is that foolish?" Naruto demanded to know.

 _ **"Let me ask a question.**_ ** _"_** A fourth voice bellowed. **_"Why do you feel at ease when fighting? Why do those visions of yours erupt in the midst of battle?"_** Naruto tried to answer, but all he did was open his mouth. **_"The answer is because you are a soul born in fire. A soul destined in the fight. A soul that is tempered by the heat of battle and the heavy hammer of experience."_**

"You mean I was born for this life? A life where I'm supposed to fight?" Naruto questioned the fourth voice. "Is that all I'm good for?!"

 _ **"It is the only life you knew!"**_ A chorus of voices answered in unison.

Naruto stepped backwards from the reply. "...W-What does that mean? What do you mean by those words?!"

" **A final query. _"_** Continued the fourth voice.

"No!" He refused with a shout. "Tell me now, dammit! You know something, and I intend to get something out of this conversation!"

 _ **"What a brat!"**_ Said a fifth voice.

"Wanna run that by me again?!"

 _ **"Young man, listen."**_ Pleaded a sixth voice.

"I've had it with visions!" Naruto shouted again. "They may be helpful, but they don't paint the whole picture. They don't tell me what I want to know!" He looked left and right, up and down trying to find the people behind those booming voices that lurked in the shadows. "I've had it with wordless answers! I need something concrete! So tell me what I want now!" He reiterated.

 _ **"It is not our place to give you what you want. We're pushing our luck by talking to you."**_ Told a seventh voice.

 _ **"What we can tell you is that what you ask for is already accessible."**_ Said an eighth voice.

Naruto growled. "I told you that-"

A ninth voice boomed. _**"Why do you fight? What reason do you have to search for strength behind the visions you seek?!"**_

The response was swift and without any hesitation in his voice. "I fight for my friends. My family!" He took a step forward in whatever direction he faced. "I fight for those I care about, and whatever they cherish! I fight because that is-"

Naruto's vision returned to normal. But that little event gave him one last vision. A hand sign. And the feeling of the need to protect. The significance of it was lost to him. He didn't understand what it was for. But he knew that it was an important thing that he saw. Once again in autopilot, Naruto's body moved. Right arm raised, he snapped his right hand. Soon, a dark purple fire engulfed the knife that was smacked into the air. Naruto lowered his right hand, and the flame flickered into action.

It split apart into embers, multiplying in numbers like a cloud covering the sky. With another snap of Naruto's fingers, the embers changed. Expanded. Morphed. No longer were they embers, but rather flames of significant size. The final part of the change was when those individual flames changed into the maker. It wasn't anything like Sun's Semblance, nor nothing like Blake's. However, it easily resembled Blake's as these flames emulated the look of Naruto down to the last individual detail. The Narutos rained down from above Velvet. Each single clone took a shot at her, sending her down, down, down until the final one sent the final punch to end the battle.

The alarm blared to signal the end while Velvet fell into Naruto's arms.

Velvet groaned. "Looks like I bit off more than I can chew."

Naruto lowered the Faunus back on her feet. "To be fair, you pushed me to use those things. And I did the same to you. Some of your weapons...were pretty scary, y'know." He scratched his head, and nervously chuckled. "Did you find the battle to be a learning experience?" He asked with a smile. "I did, and I found it eye-opening."

Velvet recounted the battle's events, and nodded with a small bit of red dusting her cheeks. "Yes, it was a very enlightening experience!" She said eagerly. Her eyes glinted as curiosity filled them. "May I ask if you found how my fighting style is alike your boss?"

Naruto found it cute that Velvet was polite out of the battlefield and a fighting machine in one. He couldn't help but try to imagine one of those mystery women in his vision looking like Velvet. He blinked, and figured that he should stop zoning out since Velvet stared at him intently. "Ah...yeah. You two are major risk takers with major rewards if successful. And that you two can be quite tricky."

Velvet pushed her index fingers together while her face faced the floor. Velvet's ears twitched as she hummed. "You're right about that. You...you caught on quick!" She praised from her position.

Naruto leaned forward curiously. "If I may ask...are you all right?"

Velvet looked up. When she saw how close Naruto was, she stepped back, and stood straight like a soldier. "Hm?! I'm fine!" Velvet replied with a high-pitched and cracked accented voice. "You may have done a number on me, b-but I've been through worse before! I-In my opinion, of course!"

"Glad to hear I didn't hurt you too much." He said with a slight bow to signify forgiveness. "I'm sorry about the rough time."

"It's quite all right, Mister Uzumaki." Velvet reassured. "Though...the arena may have a different opinion."

The mention of the arena caused the blond to wince. "Don't tell me." He just looked down on the floor in shame. "I'll be off then. Good luck to your studies and missions." He left quickly, leaving an awed audience that included team CF(V)Y, RWBY, and JNPR.

In the stands, nearest to the openings, two pairs of eyes watched Naruto intently.

"He did it." Nora whispered. "He made them."

"I can't believe it." Ren muttered. "I thought it would be impossible. But this says a lot."

Blake overheard the partners' conversation, and decided to step in to learn what they knew. "What do you know, Ren?"

"I know for a fact he has obtained the Hero's physical abilities and skills." Ren replied, not seeing any need to hide it now that Blake confronted him again. Blake was ready to push for more questions; however, he put a stop to it immediately. "But that is merely one facet." He chose to utter the Headmaster's words to him about Naruto's current condition to Blake. "Until he shows the mentality of the Hero, he isn't him, yet. As of right now, all we are seeing is a gifted fighter with gifted skills."

Yang stood next to Blake, and asked, "And what _is_ the Hero's mentality?"

"The Hero is a man of will and conviction. Those who he deems precious to him are worth fighting for. Those who are lost in the dark can be guided back. And he won't give up in either; he'll do both until he makes his final breath."

Yang narrowed her eyes, "And you think he hasn't reached that point?"

"Too early to say." Ren admitted.

Yang looked to Nora. "What do you think?"

Nora rubbed one of her arms. She looked uneasy about the conversation. Ren did his best to pacify her unease. Still, she responded. "I think that if Naruru is the Hero, we let the Hero wake up on his own terms, not ours or anyone else's." The hyperactive girl's tranquil response was a surprise to many as the girl herself looked at the door Naruto exited. "I'm sure that many can relate at one time that whenever someone is woken up by someone or something else, the result may be less than pleasant."

Ren decided to add to this. "And all things considered with his capabilities, ones we know quite well, you should wish he wakes up on his own amicable terms."

Yang left the premises with heavy footsteps. Blake was ready to chase her, but was stopped by Pyrrha.

"Pyrrha?"

"Blake, let her be." Pyrrha requested. "She's under a lot of stress."

"That kind of stress is destructive to her mental health." Blake warned. "What do you expect me to do? Just let it slide?"

"I expect you to respect your partner's privacy." Pyrrha responded in kind. "Yang isn't the only one suffering. Naruto is too." She reminded the Faunus. "Your lord is in pain, no matter how well he looks on the outside." Pyrrha took a glance at Yang's retreating form. "Those two are each other's pillar of support. They'll depend on one another to resolve this." She patted Blake's shoulder. "So please. Give her space."

Blake was reluctant, but heeded Pyrrha's words. To an extent. "I'll give her space. But with enough space that she still realizes I'm there to help along with the rest of her team."

Jaune entered the conversation. "You're starting to sound like your partner."

Blake smiled a little. "She has that kind of effect on people."

* * *

Naruto found himself sitting on the edge of a rooftop on the Second year building. He sat there in silence, trying to figure out what happened in that fight along with what the person next to him wanted to talk about.

"Naruto?"

Naruto acknowledged to call to his name with a hum.

"I'm sorry."

Naruto knew what the apology was for. It was the only reason the both of them were talking in this moment. "Don't be." Naruto replied lowly. "You made a decision that you thought was best for the both of us. I can't fault you for it..." He said. "But it still stings." He closed his hands into fists. "I fought tooth and nail to defend your honor. Dad's too." He confessed. "Do you know how many people jeered at me for having no parents? Saying I'm unwanted goods?" He shook his head at the flashes of a time he wanted to forget. "You know what I told them? I told them that at some point they loved enough to have me born into this world." His fists clenched tighter. "Living as an orphan, I knew life was its ups and downs. I just figured I, my own existence, was a negative outcome." His ears picked up a small choking sound that went away within seconds. He sighed, and took one of his hands to put to his companion's own. "But I still tried to make it better for me. Tried to change it little by little. It worked for the things that mattered to me. To be honest, it kinda felt like flipping the bird at the powers that be."

"Naruto I-"

"You didn't kill me." Naruto said. "You had every right to. Mistral allows that kind of thing, and yet you took the pain. You took it for nine months." He looked at the main plaza down below. "I'm grateful for that." He said truthfully. "I realize...I've said some things that hurt. But they weren't without good reason; the negatives were still there no matter how well-intentioned your decision was. And decisions always have pros and cons to them." He closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths. "Emotions were high for the both of us. I decided to look at the negatives instead of the positives. And you...you were only trying to salvage what you lost from your decision. So I'm sorry for that just as much as you're sorry for what you did."

"But nothing...I say will ever make things right about what I've done to you, will it?"

"Yeah." He agreed as his companion took a gulp of air. "But think of it this way, you can leave it behind. Start over. Focus on what you can do now. Not on what you could have done for me, Mom."

"Is it that easy?" She asked. "Are you capable of forgiving nearly two _decades_ of neglect?"

"I'm talking to you now, aren't I?" Naruto asked rhetorically. "If I wasn't forgiving, you would have already lost feeling to your arms and legs the first time we found about our ties to each other." The silence between them was left alone for a few moments. He scoffed. "And that's just the physical pain." He noted in a mutter loud enough for her to hear. He faced the regretful professor. "Look, I know you've been trying. You were there when I was unconscious before and when I was hospitalized." He recounted the time at the hospital. "I heard you got chewed out by Yang."

The professor had to ask, "What did you hear?"

"Nothing that will make this conversation go to a better place." Naruto replied. "You got a lot of people pissed off at you, I reckon. Or maybe a few that mattered enough to get through to you. Me included. I'm not about to do that again." He scratched his head. "So let's just simplify things."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Let things go at a natural pace." He responded. "They say time will heal all wounds? Time gave us this moment. Why not see where this goes?" He asked. "You don't have to go overboard. Just be around as someone I can count on like my friends." He looked down. "Like Yang..." He said in a low but proud voice.

"Miss Xiao Long has been keeping you afloat."

"More times than I'd like to admit." Naruto said. "But she's not the only one. Pyrrha has done quite a bit too. Weiss is trying. Blake, in her weird way, is trying. Ruby does what she can. Jaune is like a brother. Nora's like a peppy therapy dog with a good heart. Ren? I don't know a lot about him, but I think I can count on him. Adam...wait- you know about him, right?"

"Mister Taurus is a valued employee and combatant. And, yes, I agree that he is trustworthy."

"So yeah, just be someone I can count on, and you can count on me. You don't need to baby me. I'm glad that I even know you. Some orphans don't get that lucky meeting their parents. I met both. And I'm happy about that."

It was then that the mother embraced her son. Naruto rested his chin on her left shoulder, and hummed. He overheard her sniffling while crying out "Thank you" repeatedly. He returned the hug just as firmly to show that he was there for her too.

"You can come out now, Yang." Naruto called.

The door that led to this part of the rooftop opened slowly. Like a child caught doing something wrong, Yang peeked out the door. "H-Hi Naruto, Professor." Naruto and his mother broke the hug the moment the third blonde entered. "How did you know I was there?"

Naruto stood up, and stepped foot on a stable platform that was the rooftop clearing. He waggled his right index finger. "Don't act like you don't know about my ears, Yang."

"What, your normal pair of ears?" Yang asked.

"No Yang. My _other_ normal pair of ears."

" _Oh._ " Yang intelligently replied. "Wait if you know-"

"Why were you eavesdropping, Yang?" Naruto asked, knowing what had planned to ask.

The brawler found the change of subject good. The topic was what she intended to have anyway, not something so useless given the current state of things. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. That you weren't-" Yang looked at the professor. "-You know what? I-I'll just talk to you later."

"Miss Xiao Long." Glynda called as she stepped forward. "What were you about to say?"

Yang bowed. "I-It's not my place to say, Professor." She stood up straight. "It's Naruto's. I was only worried since he and I are..."

"It's nothing to worry about." Naruto interrupted. "Just a personal problem I'm dealing with. Yang was just trying to help me through it."

"And you don't think I can help?" Glynda asked. "Doesn't that go against your word? Am I not someone you can trust with this?"

"The issue isn't trust." Naruto replied lowly. "The issue is whether or not you'll _recognize_ me in the end." He said in an even lower volume. No one seemed to hear it, which was fine with him. He needed to solve this with as little help from others as possible.

Glynda stepped forward. "I beg your pardon? Could you repeat that?"

Naruto looked at his Scroll. "Ah. I've got a shift in five minutes." He moved around the professor quickly. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be taking the elevator down." He went to the edge of the rooftop clearing. "Mom, glad we had that much needed talk. Yang, enjoy talking with Mom. Maybe the outcome will be different, and you'll be chewed out."

"Isn't that sending me to my death?" Yang asked incredulously.

"You survived a punch with the power equal to that of an Atlesian battering ram -something that is _basically_ death. You can handle words from your scary teacher."

"I'm scary?" Glynda asked.

"Have you seen how your tone affects Yang's sister?" He asked in return. He shook his head. "I'm taking too long with this. Bye bye!" He fell backwards. Both women's eyes twitched. Serious in one moment, playful and happy the next. They didn't appreciate the minor mood whiplash. They didn't appreciate him leaving so quickly either. Never mind the fact he fell off a six-story building. No, no. Him ditching was an affront to them.

The younger blonde uneasily looked at her boyfriend's mother. "So...Professor, what's up?" Yang uneasily asked.

"I don't like you, Miss Xiao Long." Glynda said bluntly. "You are brash, headstrong, sometimes child-like, and frankly -a hazard to yourself and to others." Yang was speechless, but rebounded quickly. Before the younger blonde could retort, the professor continued, "Yes, you have your faults. You are a person. Obviously, a person has flaws. Despite that, you keep him grounded. And he cares little of the flaws I see. So I'm reluctantly accepting your relationship status with him." She walked towards the rooftop door. "Just make sure that he isn't hurt by that problem of his or anything else. I lost someone I loved, I won't lose another that I just got back. Understood?"

Yang nodded. "You can count on me, Professor. I'll try my best to help him out."

* * *

 _"So..."_

 ** _"We didn't reveal anything that was critical, just like you said."_**

 _"But you did say something. Something about his soul being destined to fight."_

 ** _"That doesn't mean anything."_**

 _"It means everything! You asked for his reason to fight -his reason to live!_ Our _reason to_ fight _and_ live! _You can't get any more closer to the core of_ Naruto Uzumaki _!"_

 ** _"And yet you haven't fused together with him."_**

 _"But you planted the seeds. You made a catalyst interfering like all of you did."_

 ** _"Wow. What a surprise that interfering resulted in this. Stop taking the high ground, hypocrite."_**

 ** _"I'm with Shu on this. You're being hypocritical."_**

 _"I know. And you were right about before. I made a mistake. I should have just left it alone. But what you did just now was far worse."_

 ** _"No. That isn't worse. All we're doing is giving him the tools to survive. Until he truly thinks like you, the issue is pretty much a moot point right now."_**

 _"And what then? I take over, and ruin everything he built for himself."_

 ** _"No you won't."_**

 ** _"Luckily, this will be like Shadow Clones. Only permanent!"_**

 ** _"Integration will happen. Don't worry."_**

 _"Except-"_

 ** _"What's done is done, brat. The forces that want to destroy this world are making plans. All we can do is put a stop to it when it happens. Until then, your mock self, our vessel, will live his life while learning from the visions the more he fights. And when a major trigger occurs, you'll be one step closer to integration. So don't panic over a simple push in the right direction. Just be prepared."_**

 _"Fine. We'll do it your way, partner."_

 ** _"Good. You finally have your brains back."_**

 _"Hey."_

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attentions?!"

"A human?"

"How'd he get here?!"

"Who are you?"

"Faunus brethren, calm yourselves. I'm an acquaintance of Cinder's. And I've come with orders to move along with a mission that she planned to do herself. That I'm the one infiltrating Beacon tower in her stead because she's indefinitely detained by other pressing matters." He took a dramatic pause. "So, if one of you would please hand over the device meant to start the ruination of Vale? That would be a wonderful tool to have to make the mission successful. Oh and before I forget, my name is Tyrion. Pleasure to meet you all."

* * *

 _ **This is it for this one. Like I said earlier, I hope you enjoyed.**_

 _ **So review, follow, favorite, I don't care.**_

 _ **This is Azure signing off.**_


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